Moments In Time
by evans516
Summary: One-shot series based around the family from "How Did We Get Here?" and "Where We End Up" In no particular order, just random moments ranging from when the couple is young to when their kids are all grown up! Summaries at the top of each chapter.
1. First Night Home

**thanks for checking out my new story! this is just going to be random one shots i've thought up, in no particular order...hope you enjoy! :) **

**summary: Steve surprises Alexia a week early from SEAL training and she shows him their new house**

_First Night Home_

_2002_

It had been a long few months. Alexia wasn't getting to talk to Steve every day while he was in training. While she was proud of him, it was agonizing to be away from him for so long. At least for now, she found comfort in knowing that he was going to be home in one week, done with training. He would be based out of Hawaii and they would get to start their life together, that was all that mattered.

She had bought the house on her own a few months ago when she returned to Hawaii to start work at the hospital. That process was exhausting in itself. At first, her brother was staying with her. He didn't like the idea of her living alone for now and insisted she get a dog. While she was allergic, she thought this might be a good idea. While she had friends at work and saw John regularly, it got pretty lonely around the house.

The previous night, she had just worked all night in the ER with it being her turn for the night shift. Unfortunately, early that morning, there had been a bad car accident with several victims, all of them brought through the ER. Exhausted after working all night and staying past her shift, nearly traumatized from what she saw, Alexia pulled herself from the ER, dragging her feet out towards her car.

"Excuse me, doc!" she heard a deep voice calling behind her and she internally groaned. She loved her job, but right now she needed her bed.

"Mmm, yes?" she yawned, rubbing one of her eyes as she turned around. She'd be lucky if she didn't have to sleep in the parking lot before driving home she was so out of it.

"I was just hoping that you could take a look at this," Steve smirked at her, walking closer.

"AH!" Alexia squealed with delight, jumping up into his arms. Her shrill scream had attracted a few strange looks from around the parking lot.

"It's fine," Steve waved them all off with a laugh as he held her up. "I'm..." He was laughing at her reaction. "I'm her boyfriend."

"And you're home!" she kept squealing, kissing him now as she kept herself wrapped around him. "Early, you're early...and..."

"So, you're surprised?" Steve laughed, squeezing her tight as he set her down.

"Extremely," Alexia promised him with a smile. Steve held his hand out to take the keys from her.

"Gimme," he said as she handed them over. "You look exhausted."

"Didn't you drive here?" she asked curiously as they got in the car.

"Dad dropped me off," Steve explained, starting the car. "Besides, I kinda need your help finding the new place."

"Oh, right!" Alexia said as she relaxed back on the seat, thrilled to have Steve home with her and eager to show him the new house. She directed him to their new home together, farther from the shore than she would have liked but it was still a great house. Steve followed her up the front walk of the house, stopping her from going in once she unlocked the door.

"What are you doing?" Alexia laughed.

"I'm supposed to carry you or something, right?" Steve said in confusion. "Into the new house or whatever."

"I've been living here six months," she pointed out.

"Lex," Steve complained. He didn't want to be reminded about that, he felt guilty enough as it was that she had been living alone for so long. After she was done with school was supposed to be their time together. Instead, he was gone for several months.

"And," Alexia continued, holding up a second finger as she listed. "I'm pretty sure that's for when you get married." She smiled at him playfully. "You're my boyfriend, and lucky you even get to live here."

"Ok," Steve said, leaning over to carry her over his shoulder. "That's it."

"Steve!" Alexia laughed as he carried her inside. "I don't think this is right either!"

"That's what happens when your a smart ass," Steve smirked at her as he set her down; she stuck her tongue out. "Cute," he laughed.

"Well, do you want a tour?" Alexia laughed, dropping her bag by the door. They stood in the front hall, facing each other with Steve's back to the door.

"This," Alexia held a hand out to the right. "Is the dining room." She pointed to the left. "That's the door to the basement." She walked backwards into the big open space that was the connected kitchen and living room. "Kitchen, living room..." She pointed over towards the glass doors in the kitchen. "Deck."

"It's nice," Steve told her, looking around. The house was great, and she had done an amazing job at making it comfortable, a home. The furniture, the pictures. It was a lot like he imagined.

"C'mere," Alexia nodded, leading him over to the stairs that was off to the side by the kitchen. "This," she said, opening doors as she went by. "Is the bathroom." She opened the next door. "Guest room." She grinned at him as she opened the next door to a completely empty room.

"And, this room will be for..." She started off saying, trailing off when she saw his face.

"Lex," Steve laughed, though he was a bit nervous. While he was planning to propose to her very soon, it wasn't quite the time to be turning that empty room into a nursery.

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes playfully at him, backing up towards the room at the end of the hall. "And, this, is our room."

"Our room," Steve echoed as he took it in, everything really hitting him now.

He had a _house_, he was a home owner. He'd gone from living at his dad's to shuffling between various dorms and apartments during college and in DC while Alexia was in Boston. But he had never had a house of his own before; it was a great feeling.

"So, do you like it?" Alexia asked, biting her lip now. "I wish we would have had more time to decide..."

"Hey," Steve stopped her, taking one of her hands and squeezing it. "You did amazing, this place is great."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!" Steve assured her, pulling her closer to kiss her. "I love it here." He grinned as he kissed her again. "And I love you."

"Aw," Alexia said in exaggeration, giggling as he kissed her once more. "I love you too."

**thanks for reading! :) hope you liked it. if anyone has a request for a one shot i'd love to hear it! :) (i'm thinking the next one will feature an adult jack and his career choice which im sure some of you can guess lol) more soon!**


	2. Like Father, Like Son

**thanks so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! :) and thanks to those who followed/favorited me! it always means so much to hear from you! i've gotten so many great suggestions, thank you! i know there's been a lot of speculation on "grown up jack" so i hope you all like this update lol**

**summary: Jack is all grown up now, with a family of his own, following in his father's footsteps**

_Like Father Like Son_

_2040_

If you asked Alexia, she would say it was almost scary how much Steve and Jack were alike. Looking at Jack, who was now thirty years old, freaked her out; he looked exactly like his father. He had followed a similar career path, eventually ending up at Five-0 with Julia's husband Ben. When Steve eventually retired and Ben was just out of the SEALs, he had him take over and, whenever Jack finally came home Ben had him join as well. While they all had the same career path, Jack was just like Steve while Ben proved to be more like Danny as far as partners went.

Jack was enjoying that Sunday morning, it was peaceful. Half awake, he glanced over at his wife Alyssa, her blonde hair fanned out onto the pillow. He had met her a few years ago, when she was actually on vacation with some of her friends. They kept in touch after she went home and he went away, getting married a year after they met and she moved to Hawaii permanently. Content, Jack relaxed back against the pillows, his eyes drifting back shut.

"DADDY!" his three year old daughter Katie said, launching herself onto his side of the bed.

"Hey!" he laughed, sitting up and hugging her. "Sweetheart, you have to be careful," he told her. Normally, he didn't mind when she went jumping through the bed. Now though, Alyssa was six months pregnant, twin boys; he didn't want Katie to land on her. Alyssa turned over now, sitting up slowly.

"Sorry mommy," Katie told her.

"Mmmm, it's ok," Alyssa yawned, smiling a bit. Jack's phone went off, lighting up with Ben's name, meaning he had a case. "Does Ben know it's Sunday?" Jack grabbed the phone, but Katie held out her hands.

"You wanna answer it?" Jack laughed and Katie nodded enthusiastically; he hit answer before handing her the phone.

"BENNNNN!" Katie cheered into the phone.

_"Hi Katie,"_ Ben laughed._ "Is your daddy there?"_

"Yes," she nodded.

_"Can I talk to him?"_

"Why?" Katie asked. She had hit that phase now as a three year old where she wanted to know _why_ about everything.

_"It's for work,"_ Ben told her.

"No," Katie shook her head. She hated when Jack had to go to work.

_"Katie-"_

"Bye!" Katie told him sweetly, hanging up on him.

"Katie!" Alyssa tried scolding her, but it was hard when Jack was laughing hysterically, making her crack a smile as well. "That wasn't very nice." Katie didn't seem to care, looking at her dad.

"Play now?" Katie asked him.

"Oh, I wish I could kiddo," Jack sighed, setting her to the side before rolling out of bed. "But I have to go to work."

"No!" Katie protested.

"I know," Jack complained too, kissing her head. "But, you know what?" Katie looked at him with wide eyes. "You get to go to Grandma and Grandpa's today with mommy."

"Yay!" Katie smiled. She loved going over to her grandparents house. And, since it was Sunday, Julia would have her kids over at the house as well; Sunday was always dinner at Steve and Alexia's, both in their sixties now.

* * *

"Can I help you with anything?" Alyssa asked Alexia who was at the stove making dinner. They had been at the house all day, with Katie upstairs napping while Julia's three kids were outside, Steve taking them swimming. Julia had a ten year old, a seven year old, and a five year old; Jenna, Steve Jr, and Chelsea.

"No!" Alexia laughed, her smile accentuating the wrinkles around her eyes; her tone implied she had told her daughter in law this several times. "Honey, you need to sit," she told her, stirring the chili again as Julia came in.

"It's true," Julia said as she sat across the table from Alyssa. She had gone up to check on Katie, not wanting Alyssa to have to bother with stairs. "In a few months you'll be running around in circles." She looked to her mom. "Have you heard from Ben or Jack?" They were due to join them for dinner, but no one had heard from them all day.

"No," Alexia answered as the phone started ringing and Julia immediately jumped. "It's your sister," Alexia told her, checking the caller ID before answering it.

"You should relax Julia," Alyssa told her, resting a hand on her stomach, her babies kicking like crazy.

"You're the calmest pregnant person this family has ever had," Julia laughed, making Alyssa smile too. The girls looked over when they heard Steve coming in the back door, having pulled his t-shirt back on after he had dried off on the deck. Both he and his wife were completely gray now.

"The kids are kicking the soccer ball in the yard," Steve told Julia, before looking at Alexia. "Who's on the phone Lex?"

"Lucy," she grinned, telling her daughter that her dad was there before handing him the phone. She was thrilled because Lucy just shared the news that her work was transferring her to Honolulu.

"Hey Lucy," Steve said to his youngest daughter, who had spent the last three years living in Chicago with husband Jessie and five year old son Mark. She had moved around a lot once she had graduated from school in Los Angeles, even living in Europe for awhile. With Steve on the phone with Lucy and hearing the news of how she was moving back to Hawaii, Jack came into the kitchen.

"There you are," Julia said as Jack came in, going over to kiss Alyssa.

"Julia's been worried about you guys," Alyssa explained. She certainly wasn't the worrier that Julia and Alexia were about their husbands, which was probably a good thing given that she was married to Jack.

"Ben's on his way up," Jack answered, his brother in law and partner still in the car.

"Why do you have that look on your face?" Julia asked suspiciously.

She had seen that look on Jack's face plenty of times. He had that look when he was three and he had hid her soccer cleats before her big game and forgot where he put them. It was the look he had when he was ten and he had left the door open, her cat running away. He looked at her that way when he was sixteen and he wrecked her car into their parents' mailbox. It was his _guilty, please don't kill me_ face.

"It's not my fault," Jack told her.

"It's one hundred percent your fault," Ben said as he entered the kitchen, arm in a sling.

"What happened?" Julia gasped, getting up to see what exactly was wrong with her husband. Rolling up the short sleeve a bit on his shoulder, she could see the bandage; he had gotten shot.

"Jack!" Julia said, smacking Jack's arm.

"Why do you always assume that it's my fault?" Jack asked.

"Because you're your father's son," Alexia pointed out, looking over at Steve now.

"Yeah, your mom is giving me that look," Steve answered Lucy who had heard everything. "I should probably go..."

* * *

Awhile after dinner, Jack finally took Alyssa and Katie home. Julia still wasn't too happy with him, but Ben was over it, knowing it was part of the job description. His mom had been giving that same look he had seen on her face his entire life, even when he was a kid and his dad was on Five-0. It was the look where she was worried, but she didn't want to say anything about it.

Jack had pestered his sisters enough about his parents history to know that Alexia had a really hard time when Steve was in the SEALs and they had fought a lot during those years. Jack figured that was where the _worried but not saying anything_ face came from; she just didn't want to fight, though she couldn't hide that she was worried. Tonight though, as they got home, he saw the face on someone that had never shown it before; it was Alyssa.

"Daddy," Katie said as he carried her upstairs to her room. "Did you catch the bad guys?"

"I did," Jack promised her. It was true, he and Ben had made an arrest in the case they got that morning and it looked pretty open and shut. "Gotta keep the island safe for my favorite girl!" She giggled as he kissed her nose.

"I love you daddy," Katie told him as he tucked her in.

"I love you too," Jack said, leaving the room and turning off the light. He walked down the hall to the room he shared with Alyssa, seeing her getting ready for bed. He smiled at her, going over to kiss her and wrap his arms around her, his hands resting on her stomach, his sons kicking against his hands.

"Jack," Alyssa said seriously, turning around; he knew that something was bothering her.

"Hm?" Jack asked.

"I don't..." She wasn't sure how to word it. They had never had this conversation before. "I'm not really sure how to say this."

"You can say whatever you want," Jack shrugged, wanting her to feel at ease.

"I love your mom and Julia," Alyssa started off saying. "But...I never wanted to do..._that_." Jack laughed a little as she tried to explain; a small smile crept on her face. "You know, that thing, where every time Ben goes to work..."

"My sister has a mini stroke?" Jack offered and Alyssa nodded.

"I know how important this is," she continued. "I know how much you love it, what it means to you...and your family..." It wasn't just Jack that was serious about this line of work. This was the family business.

"But, we have Katie," Alyssa went on. "And...the boys. I just need to know...that you're being careful."

"Hey," Jack said, taking her hand. "You and the kids, you're all I think about." He kissed her once. "I will be super crazy careful." He smiled at her. "Promise."

"Thank you," Alyssa smiled back, kissing him once more.

**thanks for reading! :) hope you liked the update, more soon! (next one is going to be steve right after alexia files the papers) more soon! :) let me know what you thought :) and any more suggestions let me know!**


	3. Nothing To Fix

**thanks so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! :) you're all so amazing! and thanks to those who followed me! i love hearing what you think. hope you like this update :)**

**summary: Steve hasn't been home since Thanksgiving, when Alexia filed the divorce papers. Now it's Christmas and all he wants is to talk to his girls. And, maybe, get an explanation (inspired by Luluishere by suggesting some Steve whump, "either at the Naval Academy or during the marriage" thank you!)**

_Nothing To Fix_

_Christmas 2009_

Steve hadn't really talked to Alexia since she had sent him the papers a few weeks ago. His only response was sending back the papers without signing them. Part of their not speaking was because he had been busy with work. The other part was because he wasn't sure what to say to her, or what would come out of his mouth since he felt like he was about to come unglued. First and foremost, he was heartbroken. Had things really gotten that bad between them? And what would this do to his daughters? The second thing he felt was something he didn't ever feel towards his wife, and that was just being purely angry.

How could she do this, why did she do this? This was his job; he never asked her to give up her job. What did she really think was going to happen? He had been planning on going into the military since they were in high school. It wasn't like this was something he did out of the blue, disappearing on her out of no where. This was the plan. And, up until a few weeks ago, he thought the plan was ok.

Normally, with it being the holidays, he longed to be home with his family. But now, he had an even bigger reason for wanting to be there; he needed to fix things with his wife. For now though, he was out of the country with the rest of his team, on an assignment to track down the Hesse brothers. It looked like it was going to take months before they actually found them. Too bad he needed to be home now.

Tonight, they were at staying on base, with Steve alone, looking over the Hesse file for the one hundredth time. They other guys were calling their families, with it being the holiday, and sorting through the mail they had just gotten. Not paying much attention, Steve was surprised when two brown envelopes found their way in front of him on the desk. Looking up, he saw his good friend Freddie Hart, whom he had known since he joined the SEALs.

"Got your mail," Freddie told him. He hadn't meant to, but had seen in the corner of the one envelope that it came from the office of a divorce lawyer.

"Mmm," Steve nodded, looking at the envelopes. The first was from the law office; he hid it from his own sight under the second envelope, which held Julia's careful handwriting on the front, meaning they were crayon drawings from his daughters.

"Thanks," Steve nodded.

"Pictures from your girls?" Freddie asked.

"You'll be getting those soon enough," Steve smiled at him. Freddie had just found out that his wife, Kelly, was pregnant with their first child.

"And...the other envelope?" Freddie asked, testing those waters; Steve shook his head.

"What other envelope," he muttered, looking back at the Hesse file.

"Hey," Freddie said, getting Steve to look back up at him. "I get it, we all do. Everyone's been there with their girl before." He shrugged. "It sucks, but it might just be a threat."

"You don't send threats twice," Steve told his friend; Freddie hadn't realized Alexia had sent the papers once before already.

"You should call home," Freddie told Steve. "Before it gets too late."

Steve nodded as Freddie left him alone again, opening the envelope from the girls first. The first picture from seven year old Julia was an elaborate Christmas tree with tons of decorations that read "Merry Christmas Dad" in big block letters. The second from four year old Lucy was a group of stick figures standing around a tree holding hands, with all of their names written above them. Normally, these pictures made him happy, but right now it broke his heart. Was he going to lose his girls? Not letting himself think about that for now, he reached for the phone, dialing home.

_"Hello?"_ Julia answered.

"Hey Jules," Steve smiled at his daughter's voice. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen her or her sister in over a month. "Merry Christmas sweetheart."

_"Merry Christmas dad,"_ Julia echoed, not seeming all there.

"How are you?" Steve asked eagerly. It had been two weeks since he had even gotten to speak to the girls. "How's school?"

_"It's ok,"_ Julia shrugged._ "It's just school."_ Julia was Steve's brainy child, she loved going to school. Since she didn't want to talk about it, it let him know that something was really wrong with her. She hadn't really wanted to talk to him the last time he was home either.

"Yeah?" Steve asked, trying to continue the talk. "What about soccer?"

_"I'm done now, till spring,"_ Julia said.

"Oh," Steve nodded.

_"Is that daddy?"_ he heard Lucy asking in the background.

_"Lucy wants to talk to you,"_ Julia told him, her desire to talk to him gone. She was mad at him, for what was going on with him and Alexia. She saw the toll it took on her mom, she heard her crying at night. She never saw what it did to her dad, so it was easy to blame him and be mad that he wasn't around.

"Ok," Steve nodded. "I love you Jules."

_"Love you too dad,"_ Julia told him, handing her younger sister the phone.

_"DADDY!"_ Lucy squealed with delight._ "Merry Christmas!"_

"Merry Christmas to you too sweetheart," Steve laughed. "How are you?"

_"I'm good!"_ Lucy told him excitedly._ "Are you at work?"_

"I am," Steve sighed. "Unfortunately." He shook his head, wanting to change the subject. "I heard you were starting dance class with your sister."

_"Yeah!"_ Lucy nodded. _"It's so much fun!"_

"That's good!" Steve encouraged her. "I'm glad to hear that sweetheart."

_"Can you come home for my recital?"_ Lucy asked hopefully.

"I don't know Lucy," Steve sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I really hope so."

_"When are you coming back?"_ Lucy asked now.

"Really soon, I hope," Steve added. "I'm really not sure right now though honey." Lucy nodded quietly.

_"Daddy,"_ she continued. _"Does Santa come visit where you live?"_ If getting the papers on Christmas and Julia being mad at him weren't enough, Lucy was seriously about to tear Steve's heart from his chest.

"Of course he does," Steve nodded. "Santa goes to Hawaii all the time. He saw you, didn't he?"

_"Yeah,"_ Lucy nodded innocently, having her own ideas of where her dad went while he was working. _"But, does he go to your other house?"_

"No," Steve shook his head. "Santa only visits kids."

_"Oh,"_ Lucy nodded now. _"Daddy, mommy wants to talk to you."_ She blew him a kiss. _"I love you!"_

"I love you too Lucy," Steve told her. He could hear Alexia telling the girls to go upstairs and get ready for bed, promising to be there soon to tuck them in.

_"Steve?"_ Alexia asked when she answered. It was the first time he heard her voice since Thanksgiving, not talking to her on his last call home.

"Hi," Steve said quietly. There wasn't much Steve was afraid of in the world, he had seen a lot of things. Right now though, he feared whatever his own wife was about to do or say.

_"I'm glad you called,"_ she said, making him a bit hopeful though her voice held little enthusiasm. _"The girls were happy to hear from you."_ She shrugged. _"They wished they got to see you though."_ And there it was, the dig at him and his parenting skills. Granted, he hadn't been home for Christmas since Lucy was a year old, but it still wasn't ok for her to bring up.

"Don't Lex," Steve shook his head at her.

_"You don't have to see their letters to Santa,"_ Alexia accused, both girls still believing. _"Number one on both their lists? Daddy."_

"You think I don't feel like shit as it is?" Steve finally snapped at her. "My Christmas card from my wife was freakin' divorce papers."

_"I wouldn't have to send them to you on Christmas if you would have signed them in the first place,"_ Alexia argued back.

"On Thanksgiving?" Steve scoffed. He took a breath, gathering his thoughts before he took the fight too far. "Lex, if you just give me a chance-"

_"You've had about a hundred,"_ Alexia continued to snap at him.

"You'll see," Steve tried to assure her. "When I come home, things are going to be better. I promise."

_"And when is that?"_ Alexia asked, voice shaking now. Steve knew she was fighting of tears. If Lucy tore his heart out with her previous comments about Santa, Alexia was now kicking it around and stomping all over it.

"Lex-"

_"No, seriously,"_ Alexia continued._ "When? Is it...next week? Month?"_ She laughed a little, though it was sarcastic. _"And, when you get back, how long until you leave again?"_

"You know I don't know that," Steve reasoned.

_"Then how do you know that you can make it better?"_ Alexia asked.

"I can fix it Lex!" Steve argued. "I know I can fix it."

_"I don't think there's anything to fix,"_ Alexia told him softly.

"Don't say that to me," Steve told her. He had been in love with her since they were sixteen years old. He wasn't just going to let this go.

_"I have to go,"_ Alexia told him finally.

"Don't do this Lex."

_"Please send the papers back."_

"I'm not going to sign them," Steve told her simply, not even opening the envelope as he wrote out _Return To Sender_ and placing new stamps on it.

_"Goodbye Steve."_

"Lex!"

It was too late, she had already hung up. Steve ended the phone call on his end by whipping the phone across the room. He only ever cried a handful of times as a kid, only crying once since he "grew up." It was when he was seventeen and his mother has passed away, crying not at her funeral, but when he was alone with Lex. Now, he didn't even try to stop the few silent tears that were sliding down his cheeks; he honestly hadn't even noticed that the tears were there. He wasn't losing his wife.

The way she saw it, he had already lost her.

**thanks for reading! :) so...i hope i didn't disappoint? lol really hoped you all liked it, keep the requests/ideas coming! you're all inspiring me, i hope you know that ;) **

**and, WOW! i really wasn't expecting that response to the ben/jack chapter, but i'm so happy you all liked it so much! i got some other requests for different shorts (steve/alexia finding out about julia and telling people is up next!) but i will definitely be brainstorming some future jack/ben teamwork! as always, i love to hear your thoughts/suggestions, so keep them coming! love you guys, seriously thanks so much!**


	4. A Growing Family

**thanks so much for the reviews! :) yes, it was so sad, but something not seen in the other stories really...this chapter is much cuter/family loving sweetness so...enjoy! :)**

**summary: Alexia tells Steve she's pregnant with Julia, and they share the news with everyone they love (got this suggestion about Alexia telling Steve about Julia from Guest, thank you!)**

_A Growing Family_

_2003_

"Can I give you your birthday present?" Alexia asked, bouncing a little. Steve had just returned home, after being away for a week. Rather than be away on an assignment though, he had just gone to visit his younger sister Mary in Los Angeles. The way it looked now, he was going to get to be home for a few weeks before his next assignment away.

"Ok," Steve laughed as she leaned around him to the island counter, grabbing a yellow envelope. He expected to find a birthday card inside, but instead it was a picture that was mostly black with some gray blurs in it.

"What's this?" he asked, unsure of what he was looking at.

"This," she said, pointing at a small grayish white blur on the sonogram. "Is our baby."

"Really?" he asked, smiling big; she nodded. "We're having a baby?"

"Yes," she nodded, twisting her hands, though she wasn't sure what she was nervous about. The huge grin on his face said everything.

"Lex, this is great!" Steve grinned, kissing her. He wrapped his arms around her, picking her up as he kept kissing her, setting her on the counter.

"So, you're happy?" Alexia asked, even if it was blatantly obvious. It was something you couldn't help but be nervous about though.

"Yes!" Steve laughed, squeezing her hands tight between his. "_Yes_, Lex, this is great." She smiled as he kissed her.

"I really don't know what to do next," Alexia laughed, butterflies filling her stomach.

"Well, I mean, I've got a few kids in California. So..." Steve teased her, since he obviously didn't know what was next either.

"You're the worst!" Alexia laughed, pushing against his chest. Next to her on the counter, the phone started ringing.

"We could start by telling people," Steve mused, grabbing the phone to answer it. "Hello?" He listened for a moment. "Oh, hey Seth...yeah, she's right here." He kissed Alexia's cheek as he handed her the phone, leaving her on the counter as he turned to the stove.

"Stay out of that," Alexia warned with a laugh as Steve got into their dinner. "Hey Seth, what's up?" She listened as Seth detailed his plan for coming to visit in a couple weeks when he had a break from teaching. "Yeah, that's great," Alexia nodded, unable to stop smiling now that she had told Steve she was pregnant. Now, she couldn't wait to start telling everyone else.

"Guess what Seth," Alexia asked, swinging her legs off the edge of the counter. She rolled her eyes. "No, I want you to guess." His first guess was she got a new job or something along those lines. "I've barely been at my job a year," Alexia laughed. "No, it has to do with me."

_"That doesn't narrow it down,"_ Seth pointed out with a laugh.

"Ok, it has to do with me and Steve," Alexia continued, waiting for another guess, but Seth wouldn't play along anymore. "You're seriously not going to try guessing anymore?"

"Oh my God," Steve complained, taking the phone from Alexia; he was sure Seth was feeling about the same way. "Seth, your sister's pregnant." With that, he handed the phone back.

"You suck!" Alexia accused, though she smiled, listening to her brother. "Yeah, I'm pregnant Seth." She smiled as he congratulated them. "Thank you!"

After Alexia hung up with Seth, Steve called his sister since they wouldn't be seeing her in person for awhile either. Earlier that day, Alexia had invited John over for dinner for Steve's birthday. She was just as eager as Steve to tell his father about the baby, since he was the only parental figure she had around since high school. At this point, it had been at least three years since she even spoke to her mom. Now, as Steve was hanging up on the phone with Mary, John arrived for dinner.

"Hi sweetheart," John greeted Alexia first, hugging her and kissing her cheek.

"Hey dad," Steve said as he set the phone down, going over and hugging his dad.

"Hey," John laughed, not used to such big, overly happy greetings from his son; something must be up. "How's your sister?"

"Good," Steve nodded, still wearing the huge grin Alexia gave him when she broke the news. "She's really good."

"You told her I was sorry I couldn't make it," John added, since it had been Mary's birthday. "Just, with work..."

"She knows dad," Steve assured him, though the relationship between his father and sister had been pretty strained since his mother had died.

"So," John laughed, looking between Steve and Alexia. It didn't take a detective to tell that there was something going on with the two of them. "Is there something that the two of you want to tell me?"

They seemed excited about the news, whatever it was, so that was a good sign. John only hoped that Steve wasn't being forced to move. He rarely got to see his son as it was, so he was happy that he was living out of Hawaii. And, if they left, he wouldn't get to see Alexia anymore who was like a daughter to him. If they left the island, it was only going to be him left here.

"Well," Alexia said, bouncing again with excitement like she had when she got ready to tell Steve. "We do have some really good news." She looked to Steve to continue; it was his father, and his news to share as well.

"Lex is having a baby," Steve beamed.

"You're kidding!" John laughed. "This is great!" He hugged Alexia first, then Steve. He was thrilled over the news of his first grandchild. He just wished that Doris was here to share in it with him, knowing that she would have loved their grandchildren.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Steve complained, trying to pull Alexia back into bed the next morning, though she was already dressed in her scrubs. He had just gotten back the day before and wanted to spend the day in with her.

"I have work!" she laughed, leaning over to kiss him once.

"I think you have the flu," Steve commented.

"I think that Mr. Nave SEAL here shouldn't be the one encouraging me to skip work," Alexia teased him. "Isn't showing up rule number one?"

"Mmmm," Steve groaned, stretching as he sat up. "Yeah, it's in the handbook." He smiled at her as he watched her pull her hair up. "Are you going to tell Malia?" She bit her lip.

"Technically," Alexia said, weighing her hands. "She kinda knew first...but _only_ because I needed someone to do my ultrasound." She thought about it. "And kinda psychic, she guessed it before I did." Steve laughed.

"All right," he gave in as she came over to kiss him goodbye. "Well, I'll see you later."

"Mmm," Alexia sighed sadly, kissing him one more time. "What are you going to do today?"

"Probably just go around, telling people that I'm going to be a dad," he smiled at her.

"Oh," Alexia smiled at the sweetness. "Well...have fun with that," she laughed, getting up to leave now. "I love you."

"I love you too," Steve told her as she prepared to leave.

"Oh," Alexia said, coming back into the room. "And, don't plan on surprising Chin with the news. Malia, while psychic, can't keep a secret to save her life."

"Noted," Steve laughed as she left for work officially. Having the day to himself and the news to share, he knew exactly where he wanted to go first.

* * *

Steve pulled into the parking lot, not having been here in years. The last time he was at this apartment complex was probably when he came to help Alexia move the rest of her things for college, but he couldn't remember exactly. Since last time, the building had really been run down. While he hadn't been here in awhile, he had seen Megan a few times, meeting up for dinner, knowing that she needed updates on their lives and she wasn't going to get them from her daughter. Taking a deep breath, Steve knocked on the apartment door. Inside, he heard some rustling before the door opened.

"Steve," Alexia's mother smiled when she saw her son in law. "I didn't know you were home."

"Just got back," Steve answered as she invited him in. He looked around, the apartment in disarray. He was pretty sure some of the mess had been there since he was in high school and used to come pick Alexia up. He knew it was hard for Megan since Mark died, it was normal to sink into depression after losing a loved one; she just could never seem climb back out of it.

"How are you?" Steve asked as she sat down on the small couch, coming over to join her.

"I've been ok," Megan gave him a half smile. "What made you come over Steve?"

"I actually have some news," Steve explained, pulling a picture from his wallet, having stopped to make a copy of the sonogram. Without saying anything, he handed Megan the picture. She knew what it was right away.

"Oh my God," she gasped, tearing up a bit. "Alexia is pregnant?"

"Just found out," Steve nodded, smiling. "I, um, wanted you to have that."

"Thank you," Megan told him softly, looking at the picture again; she turned back to him. "You be good to them."

"Promise," Steve assured her.

**thanks for reading! :) what did you think? lol please review! next chapter coming soon, more ideas always welcome! ;)**


	5. One Of Those Days

**thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! :) glad you liked the update. more steve whump in this update, hope you like it! :) **

**summary: After an accident on the job, Steve goes to the hospital with critical injuries (suggested by RainyJanie, Luluishere, and LeilaniMolakai for some Steve whump at the hospital/having his family with him, thank you all!)**

_One Of Those Days_

_2015_

Alexia groaned as she ran over to the nurses station, filling out the rest of one patient chart before grabbing the next one. It was just one of those days, one filled with chaos from the moment she woke up. It was barely lunchtime and she already felt like getting back into bed. She was looking over the next patient chart, someone coming in with a head injury when one of the other doctors at the desk came over to grab a chart.

"Rough day?" she asked, reading Alexia's face.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Alexia mumbled, flipping through the chart.

"What happened?" she asked with raised eye brows.

"My brother is in town," Alexia said, scribbling out an order for an MRI. "He brought his new girlfriend Karen-"

"Guessing you don't approve?" she laughed a bit.

"Well, he wants to propose to her while they're here," Alexia explained. "And I just think it's too soon, since Mia passed away." Her friend, Jessica, nodded as she remembered the passing of Alexia's sister in law. "So," she sighed. "I told him that, and now he's mad at me." She rolled her eyes. "Then, Steve said how Seth didn't want me and him to get married and that I should back off. Which snow balled into three other fights..." She trailed off and sighed.

"That bad?" Jessica asked with raised eye brows.

"Yelling and door slamming," Alexia shook her head. "He left for work all pissed off." She sighed, brushing a loose piece of hair out of her face. "And, we don't really fight, but when we do Julia's always afraid we're going to split up again." Behind her, the phones were all ringing off the hook.

"Alexia," one of the nurses came over to interrupt. "The daycare is on line one for you, something about Jack being sick?"

"Of course," Alexia nodded her head.

"And...I think it was your husband on line three," the nurse added as Alexia grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" she answered, listening to the daycare director as she looked at line three blinking away. "He wasn't having any symptoms this morning," Alexia explained; line three stopped blinking. Oh well, she'd just have to call Steve back. "Yes," she groaned, rubbing her forehead as the chaos continued. "I know, he can't stay at the daycare if he has a fever..."

That was when it happened.

Alexia heard the EMTs rushing in from the entrance, pushing the gurney through quickly. There was another doctor available, who went over and asked what happened. Hearing them saying about the gun shots to the abdomen. With all the commotion, it was impossible not to glance over to see what was going on. As they pushed the man past the nurses' station, Alexia recognized the man in the bloody shirt being rushed into surgery. And she recognized the blond running in after the EMTs.

"I tried calling you," were the first words out of Danny's mouth; it had been him on line three.

"I have to call you back," Alexia said, dropping the phone back on the hook. "What happened?" she demanded, leaving the station as she tried to run back the hall. Danny had caught her by the back of her scrubs, pulling her back.

"You can't go back there Lex," Danny told her.

"Danny, let go of me," Alexia struggled against him. He had to nearly drag her into a nearby exam room, shutting the door behind them. "Danny! Seriously, get out of my-"

"You're not going to help anything back there right now," Danny said. Doctors weren't supposed to treat their own family members, for this reason alone. Alexia's hands were shaking, real panic setting in.

"What. Happened," Alexia finally spit out, the shaking moving to her voice.

"We were going to pick up a suspect," Danny explained, trying to keep calm himself. "Not even, someone that knew our suspect. There wasn't anything...no record on this guy, to make us think..."

"He'd have a gun?" Alexia asked. She didn't need the rest of the details, she knew how the story ended. "I have to go back there," Alexia tried to push past him to get to the door; Danny, once again, blocked her way.

"You know you can't go back there Lex," Danny reminded her. Alexia collapsed into a nearby chair, head in her hands as she was sobbing.

"Danny, he can't..." Alexia couldn't even get the words out. Steve was in the OR right now, two gunshot wounds to his chest. She had worked in the ER long enough to know what that meant, what kind of odds he was facing. "I can't..."

"Hey, hey," Danny said, dropping down to kneel in front of her. "You trust the people you work with?" Alexia nodded, though right now it didn't matter how much she trusted the other doctors and surgeons at the hospital. "Listen," Danny went on. "I have seen your husband do some crazy shit on the job." He shook his head, thinking of some of the stunts that Steve had pulled.

"I can't even tell you," Danny continued. "You know why? We have a _don't tell my wife_ agreement." Alexia choked on a laugh, though the tears were still pouring out of her eyes. "My point is, he's always come out ok. He's one tough son of a bitch." He squeezed Alexia's hand. "And I know he's gonna fight like hell through this." Alexia nodded, wiping at her eyes. "I'll come stay here, till he's out of surgery," Danny promised her. "But, what do you need? I can pick up the kids, I can call your brother..."

"Seth was going to get the girls from school," Alexia nodded, already having planned for Seth to pick up the girls that day since she and Steve were both crazy with work. "Oh my God," she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I have to get Jack from the daycare, he got sick-"

"I'll go get him," Danny said, standing up. "I'll call Seth and drop Jack off, I'll be back in an hour." He squeezed her hand. "Just wait here, and call me with anything."

* * *

Danny picked up Jack from the daycare, driving him back to the house. He had called Seth and Karen, asking them to meet there. Seth knew that something was wrong, since Danny was the one calling him but he said that he would explain at the house. He didn't want to say, with Jack in the backseat of the car. The three year old wouldn't be able to understand. It was a few hours until the girls needed picked up from school.

"Hi Jack!" Karen greeted him excitedly when Danny came into the house carrying him, her and Seth already at the house. "How are you?"

"I'm sick," he told her, his little voice pathetic as his head was laying on Danny's shoulder.

"Aw," she said sympathetically as she took him from Danny. "I can take him upstairs."

"Thank you," Danny nodded at her. Jack was asking Karen where his mommy and daddy were and she told him work, not quite sure what was going on herself. Seth stood up off the couch as Danny was still quiet.

"What happened?" Seth asked him in concern.

"Ah," Danny hesitated. It was still hard to believe that it happened. "Steve..." He shook his head. "We were out today and Steve was shot," he finally said. "He's at the hospital right now, in surgery."

"Oh my God," Seth said.

"I'm gonna go back to the hospital now," Danny went on. "The kids, they need their family here. I need you to get the girls from school and stay with them tonight. Me or Lex will call you with anything." Seth nodded.

"What do I tell the girls?" Seth asked as Danny prepared to leave.

"Can't lie to them," Danny sighed.

* * *

Seth picked up the girls from school that afternoon, quiet on the way home. They didn't really pick up on anything that could be wrong, chattering in the backseat about their day and what was new at school. Expecting at least one of their parents to be home, they were surprised with neither of their cars were in the driveway and that Karen was the only one downstairs, Jack up in his room with a fever.

"Where's dad?" Julia asked her uncle, her sister curious as well. Even if Seth was picking them up, their dad was supposed to be home so they could go to Julia's soccer game.

"Girls," Seth said gently, kneeling down to his eleven and eight year old nieces. "Your, um..." He wasn't sure how to break the news to them. "Your dad had an accident at work-"

"Is he ok?" Lucy interrupted.

"He's at the hospital, with your mom," Seth explained. "She's going to call me soon, all right?"

"Is he going to be ok?" Julia asked.

"Oh yeah," Seth assured them, though really he had no idea. "Your dad is the toughest guy I know."

* * *

Steve woke up in the hospital, his memory foggy. He hardly remembered what happened, but knew that he was in the hospital. Groggy from the medication, his eyes did a slow scan of the room. The more he woke up, the more he felt the pain in his side, making him wince a little. His eyes eventually landed on Alexia, who was curled up asleep in a chair next to his bed; once Steve was out of surgery and was ok, she sent Danny home. She sat sideways, her knees pulled up to her chest, her lab coat bunched up like a pillow under her head. Seeing her there made him painfully sad.

"Le-" He tried to wake her, but as soon as he tried to speak he erupted into a painful coughing fit. Lex jolted awake, the sudden noise startling her.

"Are you ok?" Alexia asked, sitting up straight now. Steve nodded as his coughing subsided, but still grimaced at the pain in his abdomen. "Is it your side?" He nodded again, wondering if talking would trigger another coughing attack. Alexia nodded, getting up and going out into the hall to the medication cart. Eventually, she returned with a syringe, injecting another dose of pain medication into his IV.

"Are you allowed to do that?" Steve asked with a soft laugh.

"I work here," Alexia shrugged, sinking back into her seat. Both of them were quiet for a moment, Alexia staring at his hand as she rested her hand over it. "What do you remember?" she finally asked.

"Drivin' with Danno," Steve answered quietly, his voice hoarse; Alexia nodded.

"You, um," Alexia said, not really sure what to say next. "You were shot, twice." Steve nodded, vaguely remembering running into the building now, the sounds of gunshots, then nothing.

"The, ah, one just went through your side," Alexia continued. Maybe he didn't know the details, but she needed him to know. He had to know how lucky he had gotten this time. "The other one, um..." She shook her head. "It broke one of your ribs, bounced, and got stuck in a different one." Steve was pretty amazed. What were the chances of that happening? He was sure his wife was going to tell him.

"So," Steve said, after she was quiet for a moment. "I've got some stitches and a broken rib?" Someone upstairs must have been watching out for him.

"And a blood transfusion," Alexia nodded in addition. While he was lucky that none of his organs suffered any damage, he had lost a massive amount of blood. "The, um, doctor said if the bullet bounced the other way..." She shook her head again. "It would have hit your heart." She sighed as she looked down at her hands that she couldn't stop twisting. "I'm sorry, I just needed you to know that."

"Needed to hear it," Steve agreed, coughing a bit more. He looked at his wife, really looked at her now. The color in her face was gone, her eyes were blood shot. Sleeping in that chair was probably the first hour of sleep she had gotten since he had been admitted, and he didn't know how long he had been there. Her hair was up, disheveled. Over all, she had a clearly panicked and frazzled appearance. And where were the kids in all of this? Were they with Danny, Seth? How scared had they been when they heard the news, which no one could hide from them.

"I could honestly kill you for putting me through that Steven McGarrett," Alexia told him, though her tone was light as she took his hand. "But, um..." She bit her lip to fight the smile on her face. "There's three little McGarretts that probably wouldn't be too happy with me."

"Are they at home?" Steve asked groggily and she nodded.

"I said that I'd call Danny when you woke up and have him bring them by," Alexia explained and he nodded. "Are you up for some visitors?"

"Definitely," Steve nodded weakly. He needed to see them, his kids; his babies he almost left too soon. Alexia got up to leave, but stopped and sat back down.

"Steve," Alexia said, his head turning over to look at her. "I'm sorry we fought this morning."

"Don't do that Lex," Steve complained. He tried to sit up a little, but the pain that shot through his ribs made him stop trying to move.

"I said some stuff I didn't mean," she shook her head. "And if something happened...and you didn't come back..." Her eyes were welling up.

"I slammed the door," Steve reminded her. "And, I'd hope..." He coughed a bit, his voice getting more hoarse but he needed to get it out. "I'd hope," he started again. "That, if something had happened, that wouldn't be what you thought about. That you'd know it was just a stupid fight...and that I really loved you." She nodded.

"Ok," Alexia agreed, getting up again.

"Go call the kids," Steve encouraged her, eager to see them; he still had her hand as she stood up. "I'll just wait here and try to forget some of those names you called me this morning."

"Steve!" Alexia complained now.

"Too soon?" he asked, squeezing her hand.

"Way too soon," she said, though she kissed him.

* * *

Danny was there within the hour, bringing the kids along with him. The girls came in first, each of them holding onto cards they had drawn themselves. Jack, still sick, was carried in by Danny with his head on his shoulder. Danny passed Jack along to his mother and she felt how warm he was still.

"Hey," Steve greeted his daughters. They just stood by his bed and stared him. Unable to hug them, he settled for a high five, squeezing each of their hands. "Were you guys good for Uncle Danny?"

"Oh yeah," Danny nodded, answering for them. "Perfect angels." He shook his head at his partner. "Which, they certainly didn't get from you."

"Hey," Steve said, sounding offended.

"Hey," Danny shrugged back. "How are you feeling buddy?"

"Great," Steve told him, though it was obvious that was a lie. "I'll be back by next week."

"Oh, you think again," Alexia laughed, balancing Jack on her hip. As she was saying this, the girls gave Steve cards they had drawn for him.

"Oh, these are great," Steve told them, looking at them side by side; he looked over at Alexia. "You see these mom?"

"I see 'em," Alexia nodded, feeling Jack's head.

"Those'll have to go up in the office," Danny commented and Steve nodded.

"Where's my card from you?" Steve fake accused his partner.

"I'm not an artist like these two," Danny replied, backing up to leave. "I'll let you guys alone."

"Thanks for you help today Danny," Alexia said gratefully.

"Sure thing," Danny nodded. "I'll see you back at work next week."

"No!" Alexia reinforced as Danny left.

**thanks for reading! :) hope you liked the update! not sure what's going to be in the next chapter, i have a few ideas floating around. as always, would love to hear your thoughts and ideas! :) **


	6. A New Start

**thanks so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! you have no idea how much it means to hear from you! hope you like this :)**

**summary: Once she got the papers signed, Alexia barely had a moment to file them. Then, there was a moment that changed her mind...keeping her from filing all together. (suggested by BarbraAnnS, thank you!)**

_A New Start_

_2010_

It had been a crazy few weeks since Steve had come back to Hawaii. Unexpectedly, he signed the papers on his first day back. Alexia hadn't seen that coming, she thought that he would continue to fight her on it. But, she was glad that he had signed, not dragging it out and making it harder for everyone around. At least now when she saw him it wouldn't be the only thing she thought about, they could just go forward from here and be there for the girls. What she didn't know was that was his exact plan to get her back.

Getting the papers filed though, was a different story.

Everyday, it seemed to be something different. She was either slammed at work, rushing to barely pick up the girls in time, or running out of the house late in the morning, forgetting the papers on the counter. It was already inconvenient enough that her lawyers office was only open until four. If she was on day shift, she worked until three and then had to take the girls to their various practices; she never made it to the office in time. That afternoon, Steve had the girls, but she had left the papers in her locker at work. She just couldn't seem to catch a break.

"Hey," Steve greeted her, returning to the house with the girls.

"Hi," Alexia smiled, greeting the girls as they came over to see her before speeding upstairs. "Thanks for picking them up."

"Sure," Steve nodded, preparing to leave.

"Don't forget about tonight," Alexia reminded him.

Julia's summer soccer league was ending and her team was in the final round. As a special extra for being in the championship, the girls got to play on the high school football field, like the older kids that played soccer did for their regular games. Julia was excited, not just to be playing on the big field, but this was the first big game that her dad was going to get to see.

"Couldn't if I tried," Steve said back. He was looking forward to going to his daughter's game just as much as she was looking forward to having him there. He had only ever been to a handful of her games and none of them were ever big, important, championship type games.

* * *

"Hey mom," Julia said, coming downstairs after her dad had gone.

She had been trying to act like she wasn't overly excited for Steve to be coming to her game that night. Ever since Steve had come back, she was giving him a bit of the cold shoulder. After all, she was still pretty upset with him for not being around, mostly blaming him for the divorce. The more he was around though, the more she started to thaw. She was only seven, after all.

"What is it honey?" Alexia asked. Julia came down in her shorts for her game, but in a different shirt. She was carrying her jersey down, laying it out on the kitchen table.

"I already asked my coach if it was ok," Julia quickly explained, getting a roll of black tape. "I wanted to change my number."

"Why's that?" Alexia asked curiously. For as long as Julia had played soccer, she had been number ten.

"I wanted to use dad's number from football," Julia went on. Steve didn't have a son to play football and use his old number, so she thought it would be cool for her to use his number in her soccer game. "Do you think he'd like that?" Alexia's expression softened.

"I think so," Alexia nodded in agreement.

"He was number fifty, right?" Julia asked and she nodded again, grabbing the roll of tape to help her daughter make the one into a five.

* * *

Alexia and Lucy met Steve at the field, with Julia getting picked up by a friend since she had to be there early. Rather than sit up in the bleachers, they stood along the fence that separated the track from the field so they could see better. Well, not all of them could see better.

"Daddy!" Lucy complained with a huff. Julia might have her moments now, but Lucy was going to grow up into his dramatic child, he was sure of it. "I'm too small!"

"Oh no!" Steve agreed with equal enthusiasm, leaning over to scoop her up. He lifted her over his head, placing her on his shoulders. "How's that?"

"Better," she giggled, content now.

"Wow Lucy," Alexia laughed, looking up at her. "What's it like up there?"

"High," Lucy answered simply, making Alexia and Steve laugh. The soccer team came out now, the girls taking the field. Steve noticed that Julia, who was normally number ten, was now number fifty.

"She asked me what your football number used to be," Alexia answered before Steve could even ask. "She wanted you to like it."

Julia, who's head was always in the game, kept shooting sideways glances at her dad. She wanted to know what he thought, wanted to see his reaction to how she was playing. The game was a little over halfway done though, when her worst fear happened. She was currently on the bench, watching her dad with Lucy on his shoulders and her mom next to him, when he pulled his phone from his pocket, to see who was calling him. He was going to have to go to work, she knew it and she was crushed. Much to her surprise, and her mother's, he hit ignore and placed it back in his pocket; her spirits were lifted.

"You're not going to answer that?" Alexia asked curiously and he shook his head.

"Not important," Steve informed her and she raised her eye brows in suspicion.

"It was Governor Jameson," Alexia said, seeing who it had been.

"She's not my number one girl," Steve commented, nodding out at the field where Julia was running like crazy after the ball.

"Hey!" Lucy protested, pouting.

"Who's older than six," Steve corrected himself, knowing he had to be careful because he had two girls.

"Mommy's older than six," Lucy reminded him, the four year old still not really understanding her parents divorce, even though they didn't live together; they still seemed to be friends.

"Mommy's my best girl older than-"

"Watch it," Alexia laughed, turning back to watch the rest of the game.

It was the last minute of the game and the score was tied. Julia was on the field now and everything just seemed to fall into place for her, almost like it was moving in slow motion. She stole the ball off one of the girls from the other team and no one could catch her as she reached the other end, sending the ball into the corner of the net. And, just like that, the game was over. She could hear both her parents screaming from the sidelines.

Her team mates were all running out excitedly, cheering and screaming as they huddled to celebrate on the field. Julia took off running though, blowing past her team mates. She didn't want to celebrate with them. Steve had already put Lucy down, heading over to the edge of the field to meet Julia. She ran right into him as he knelt down to hug her.

"Did you see that?!" Julia asked excitedly, backing away to study her dad's face as he knelt in front of her. His grin was just about as big as hers. "Did you see me dad, did you see what I-"

"I did!" Steve beamed, pulling her in to hug again. Alexia was walking over now, Lucy racing in front of her to congratulate her sister. "I did, you were great sweetheart! I'm so proud of you!"

"Really?" Julia asked him.

"Yes!" Steve laughed as he hugged her tight. Why did the women in his life never believe him when they told him he was excited or proud?

"You were so good Julesy!" Lucy cheered, bouncing beside Steve and Julia while he was hugging her. "Julesy! Why are you crying?! You WON!" Julia was sobbing into Steve's shoulder, soaking the sleeve of his shirt. It wasn't because she was sad, but because she was just so overwhelmed and happy to have her dad there.

"I think she's just really excited," Steve told Lucy as he stood up, carrying Julia. "Right mommy?" Steve asked Alexia, smiling at her. Alexia internally groaned. He wasn't allowed to smile at her. Not like that, not here.

* * *

_Flashback, 1992_

That night at the game, almost everyone in town was there. Not only was it the homecoming game, but they were also playing their biggest rival. It was a close game, with each team trading touchdowns. Then, the opposing team took the lead. There was enough time left for one more play and they needed a touchdown to win.

"Nervous?" Sarah asked, bumping her shoulder playfully against Lex's; Lex rolled her eyes.

"Nope," she shook her head, even though her stomach was in knots. She wondered if she was nervous for the game or if she was nervous about the bet. Maybe it was a little of both. If she hadn't been watching it herself, she wouldn't have believed it. Steve had faked a pass to one of his teammates before running it into the end zone himself. They won the homecoming game, maintaining their undefeated status; and, of course, Steve had won the bet. Everyone rushed onto the field to celebrate. Lex was with the other cheerleaders when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. Of course it was Steve, grinning as he came to collect.

"Red," she told him, before he could say anything. "My dress is red."

"I'll pick you up at eight," he smiled.

* * *

This was where it started, where they started. It was when she considered herself to have officially become his, that night on the edge of football field, melting at the sight of that smile. And now here they were, eighteen years later, no longer together but in the same spot with their two daughters. Seeing him there, in that place, with their girls...it was making her melt all over again.

"Lex?" Steve asked in confusion; she had blanked out and not answered him. "You ok?"

"Uh, yeah," she nodded quickly, shaking the thoughts from her mind. "Um, do you want them tonight? You can just take them to school in the morning."

"Are you sure?" he asked, though his voice appreciative.

"Yeah," Alexia nodded. "Yeah. I'll just...see you girls at dinner tomorrow." She leaned over to kiss Lucy and then kissed Julia who still was in her dad's arms. "Be good for you dad."

"They always are," Steve smiled at her. "Thanks Lex."

"Yep," she nodded, turning to leave. _Just stop freaking smiling at me_, she thought to herself.

* * *

The next day after her shift, Alexia was standing in one of the back offices of the hospital. She was looking at the papers that she had pulled from her locker. Right now, she was debating on going to file them; she had gotten out of work in plenty of time, she didn't have to pick up the girls, and she had the papers in front of her. It was the first day she could actually find the time to file them.

And here they were, staring back at her from the desk. She found herself mentally arguing with a packet of papers. They just seemed to be staring back at her, even judging her a little bit. They didn't tell her anything she didn't already know. She was an awful wife for this, and probably a bad mother. Somehow, she couldn't remember any of the reasons she had for filing them, not after last night.

"Son of a bitch," Alexia muttered to herself before throwing the papers in a nearby paper shredder. Unfortunately, that was the easy part. Next came coming clean.

**thanks for reading! :) hope you liked it, please let me know what you thought and if you have any ideas for the next chapter (i have a few floating around but would love to hear any more!)**


	7. Danger

**thanks so much for the reviews! it means so much to me! i've gotten requests for a ben/jack update and i'm definitely brain storming ideas, i want to make it really super awesome for you guys! lol so, until then...here's this update :) hope you like it, sorry for the wait! thanks for being patient!**

**summary: Taking care of Julia on her own was crazy enough, but now she's pregnant too? Thankfully, John is around to help while Steve is away. Although, nothing really prepared Alexia for this... (suggested by MaliaRose about a scare during Alexia's pregnancy bc of her work, thank you!)**

_Danger_

_2006_

It was barely a month after Alexia found out that she was pregnant the second time that Steve had to go away again. They had just recently gotten back from a funeral, one of Steve's friends that had died in action. Having him leave so soon on assignment after sent Alexia's anxiety to an all time high. It didn't help that she felt like she was practically raising three year old Julia on her own and was pregnant again. Busy as ever at the hospital, she was becoming even more dependent on John for help, not that he minded. John loved his granddaughter and loved his daughter in law, both of his own kids rarely ever on the island in the first place.

"Mommy," Julia woke her up that morning. The night before she had been upset that Steve was gone, this time for two months, crying hysterically. The only way Alexia got her to calm down was by letting her sleep on Steve's side of the bed.

"Hm?" Alexia yawned, laying on her side to look at her daughter. She wondered where the three year old got all her energy from, she rarely ever slept.

"When's daddy come back?" she asked innocently.

"Soon," Alexia lied, since she really never knew when Steve was due back until a few days before. At this point, it had been a week and a half since she had even heard from her husband. "But, you know what?" Julia looked at her intently. "Mommy found out what the baby is." She was four months pregnant and at her last doctor's appointment found out what the baby was, having the tiniest bump on her stomach to show that she was even pregnant.

"Really?" Julia asked. That was her number one question about the new baby, if she was going to have a brother or a sister.

"Mhmm," Alexia nodded. "You're going to have a little sister, Lucy." She and Steve had already decided on a name.

"Yay!" Julia cheered; she hadn't really wanted a little brother. "Can I tell Grandpa John?" Alexia was going to be dropping Julia off at John's house today, working twelve hours in the ER. Once she really started showing, they were going to make her stop in the ER and work in a different part of the hospital, but for now they left her there, since they were currently short staff.

"Yes," Alexia laughed, getting out of bed now to get ready for work. "C'mon, let's get ready to go."

* * *

"You should go home," her director told her. Alexia was clearly run down, between the pregnancy and running around after a three year old. Staying up late at night worrying about her husband certainly didn't help.

"Our bases aren't even covered as is," Alexia reminded him, grabbing the next chart. She caught him giving her a stern look. "Hey!" she protested with a laugh. "I'm fine." She held her arms away and, under her scrubs, you still couldn't really tell that she was pregnant. "We agreed until I'm showing. And," she smiled. "I'm not getting sick anymore. So, really, it's fine."

"Mhmm," he nodded, still skeptical of her decision to stay. "What does your husband think about this?"

"My husband," she told him. "Gets a say in my job when I get a say in his."

* * *

John was making Julia lunch, having taken her swimming that morning. Sitting across the table from her, both of them eating grilled cheese, she was detailing to him how Alexia was going to have a daughter. Julia was going to get to have a baby sister and her name was going to be Lucy. John smiled and nodded along appreciatively, happy to get to spend the day with his granddaughter. He only wished Alexia wasn't working so much. As Julia kept digging into her lunch, the phone rang and John got up to answer it.

"Hello?" John answered. He expected his daughter in law, given that the hospital's number came up on the caller ID.

_"John McGarrett?"_ a male voice on the other end said. John did a double take on the phone and saw that it was indeed the hospital's number; now he was worried.

"Yes?"

_"We have you listed as the secondary contact for Alexia McGarrett,"_ the doctor explained. _"We were unable to reach Steven-"_

"What happened?" John demanded.

* * *

Everything had happened so fast, Alexia wasn't even sure what had happened. The file she had picked up at the nurses' station had belonged to a patient that had just been brought in. He was rather aggressive, unhappy about being there but when the paramedics found him he was disoriented enough to call for a psych evaluation. They had him in one of the hospital beds, trying to admit him and he started to freak out. At some point while they were trying to calm him, she got knocked to the ground, falling right onto her abdomen. She was laying in a bed now, hooked up to all kinds of monitors, the doctors trying to make sure that her baby was ok.

"Hey," John said as he came into her hospital room, bringing flowers in with him and setting them on the side table. He had left Julia with Malia, thinking that she shouldn't see her mom in the hospital like this; it would worry her too much. "How are you sweetheart?"

"Mmm," Alexia sighed, laying her head back against the pillows. "Exhausted." She was twisting her hands. "Feeling like an idiot. I should have listened to you."

"Don't worry about that right now," John shook his head, though he had been warning her about her long hours in the emergency room. There were so many things he was afraid of going wrong. Falling. Needle sticks. Exposure to harmful infections. He thought that her work was the last place she should be, but now wasn't the time for an _I told you so_.

"I tried calling Steve," Alexia continued, her eyes welling up a little. Here she was, laying in a hospital bed, worried something might happen to her baby and she couldn't reach her husband. "There's no answer. They must be out, away from the base."

"Must be," John nodded in agreement. "We'll keep on trying." He smiled a little. "Let him know that everything's going to be all right."

"You don't...know that," Alexia said sadly, shaking her head in an attempt to keep the tears away. "I really, really messed up."

"You didn't do anything," John assured her. "You were doing your job. Now, let the doctors do theirs." She nodded, wiping at her eyes. "How long are you going to be staying here?"

"Three days," Alexia said. "They're just going to monitor, make sure everything's all right." He nodded over at the monitors.

"You're smart," John told her. "You went to school for this. What are those saying right now?" Alexia shook her head at John. He was stubborn, like Steve and would never accept bad news. The house could be on fire and the McGarrett men would tell her everything was all right.

"That everything is all right," Alexia told him. The baby's heart rate was fine, she was moving like normal. So far, no impact from the fall.

"Then trust that," John promised her, squeezing her hand. "Getting yourself all stressed out isn't going to help anything."

* * *

John stayed at the hospital with Alexia, even after she had drifted off to sleep. He didn't want her to wake up and be alone and he knew that Julia was having a great time with Malia. Just as he was reading the paper, Alexia's phone started buzzing on the table next to her flowers. The sound of the phone hardly phased her as she was overly exhausted, so John answered it.

"Hello?" John answered.

_"Dad?"_ Steve asked in confusion. _"Why are you answering Lex's phone?"_

"Where are you?" John asked, not recognizing the number.

_"The airport, in San Diego,"_ Steve answered, standing at the payphone. _"I'll be back home by tonight. Is she at the doctor's?"_

"Ah," John hesitated. Well, you could honestly say that. "She's resting now, she's asleep."

_"What's going on?"_ Steve asked. His dad was never really good at lying to him, Lex, or Mary. Something wasn't right at home and he could sense it.

"It's nothing to worry about," John said, not wanting his son to panic. "She's going to be fine. But..." He sighed. "Earlier this morning, she fell at work-"

_"Nothing to worry about?"_ Steve snapped. _"She fell dad, is she ok? Is the baby all right?"_

"She's fine," John assured him. "And, I've been with her since they admitted her-"

_"Admitted her?"_ Steve started to panic, interrupting his dad again. _"She's in the hospital?! Dad, I-"_

"As a precaution," John stopped his son. "Nothing has changed since they brought her in here. Her heart rate is fine, she's moving just fine."

_"She?"_ Steve asked in confusion, then it hit him. _"It's a girl?"_ John groaned.

"Lex just found out yesterday," John said, feeling bad that he had ruined the surprise. "Do you want me to wake her?"

_"No,"_ Steve shook his head. _"She needs to rest. Just...tell her I'll be there in a few hours."_

"All right," John agreed.

* * *

Alexia was out for awhile and John figured it was because she really needed the rest. Worrying about Steve took it's own toll, as well as being pregnant, and she was working what seemed to be endless hours in the ER. It seemed to him that she might need to sleep for a few days, though someone rushing into her room caused him to jump and her to wake up.

"Lex," Steve said, going over to her bed and setting the flowers he got her next to his dad's. "Are you ok babe?"

"Steve?" Alexia asked in confusion, looking him over as he leaned over her bed to kiss her once. "What are you..." She was really confused, just waking up now. "Am I dreaming or-"

"No, I'm here," he promised her, squeezing her hand. "I got an early flight back, I wanted to surprise you. Dad told me what happened, are you all right?"

"Well," Alexia said, looking over to the monitors that she couldn't help but check herself. "I mean, everything looks good right now. They just want to keep me for a few days to make sure."

"Every thing looks great," her director and doctor that had kept checking on her throughout the day said as he came in to look at the monitors himself; he extended a hand to her husband who he had never met before. "Dr. Miller."

"Steve McGarrett," Steve said back. "Everything's ok?"

"Fine," Dr. Miller nodded. "We'll just keep her a few days to make sure." He looked at Alexia now, seriously. "Which is when she'll be taking a week off, then she'll be starting at the family clinic upstairs. Scariest thing up there is a kid sneezing on her."

"Got it," Alexia said as he left, not wanting to admit that she was wrong for working as long as she did. Really, it wasn't supposed to be her work place that was dangerous; that was Steve's territory. The only thing she was glad for now though was that the baby was safe and Steve was home.

**thanks for reading! :) really hoped that you liked it, sorry again for the wait! next is going to be steve having a sick day with the girls taking care of him, then after that is halloween. still thinking up some older ben/jack ideas lol more soon, please review and give ideas! :)**


	8. Take Care

**thanks so much for the reviews, follow, and favorites! really glad you liked the last update, hope you like this one :) **

**summary: Steve is used to taking care of his family, protecting them. Just being the way he is, it's hard enough for him to admit when he needs help. Sick in bed though, it's up to a few special doctors to nurse him back to health. (an idea from SkipperMike, thanks!)**

_Take Care_

_2010_

It wasn't long after the girls had moved back into the house with Steve. He was feeling great, his daughters living with him again and Alexia was wearing her wedding ring. Things were perfect, his family was back together. How was it though, that if he was feeling so amazing, he couldn't find it in him to get out of bed right now? He could hear Alexia saying something to him, but it sounded distant and he felt really hot.

"Are you listening?" Alexia asked, nudging him. Feeling him, she realized what was going on. "Oh my God, you're sick."

"I am not," Steve grumbled into his pillow. The last thing he ever wanted to admitted was that he was sick. Even though he wasn't looking at her, he could feel her eyes rolling at him.

"You're on fire," Alexia told him. "You probably caught what the girls had last weekend."

"Did not," Steve continued to protest. Just as he was saying this, his phone started ringing on the night stand. It was Danny with a case. Sluggishly, Steve reached over to grab it but Alexia was faster and snatched it.

"Lex," Steve complained.

"Hello?" Alexia answered the phone, standing next to Steve's side of the bed.

_"Hey Lex,"_ Danny replied. _"Uh,"_ he laughed. _"Can Steve come to the phone?"_

"Nope," Alexia shook her head. "Sorry Danny, Steve can't play today." She looked at Steve as she said the next part. "He has the flu."

"I do not Danno," Steve called, before going into a coughing fit.

_"Sounds all right to me,"_ Danny joked.

"Tell ya what," Alexia said, more to Steve than Danny. "If you can take this phone from me in the next two minutes, you can go into work."

_"Oh, this ought to be good,"_ she heard Danny saying.

"You want me to take the phone from you?" Steve asked, sitting up slowly and setting his feet on the floor. The cool floor sent a chill through his body.

"Yep," Alexia nodded.

"Fine," Steve shrugged, getting up and walking over towards her with dragging feet, reaching for the phone.

"Too slow," Alexia told him, spinning around him and jumping onto their bed.

"C'mon Lex," Steve complained.

"You'll have to catch me," Alexia told him, hopping off the other side of their bed and running out the bedroom door.

"Catch you," Steve grumbled, his aching body only letting him move so fast out into the hall. It was about a normal walking pace for him right now. "Freaking catch you..." Alexia was squealing with laughter as she ran down the stairs.

"Mommy!" Lucy scolded from the couch, the four year old still in her pajamas. "You're not supposed to run in the house!"

"That's right," Steve agreed, pointing at her as Alexia ran around the opposite side of the coffee table from him. "You tell her Lucy, mommy's being a bad example."

"Daddy's just mad he's getting out run by a girl," Alexia said, going to run around the table but Steve cut her off. She decided to go over the table, beating Steve to the kitchen.

"Lex!" Steve protested as they raced around the island counter in the kitchen. Eventually, Steve became winded and had to stop, doubling over in a coughing fit.

"And...time," Alexia said when it had been two minutes, lifting the phone up to her ear. "Sorry Danny, Steve can't come in today."

_"No, don't be sorry,"_ Danny chuckled. _"That was great."_ He laughed a bit. _"Tell Steve to feel better."_

"Ok," Alexia said, hanging up.

"Did they teach you that in school?" Steve asked sarcastically, still coughing up one of his lungs in the kitchen.

"How to trick your husband into staying home one oh one," Alexia nodded, handing him a glass of water before pointing at the doorway. "Bed."

"Fine," Steve grumbled, dragging his feet back towards the stairs and to their room.

* * *

His head had barely hit the pillow before Steve was back asleep. Wow, did he hate when Alexia was right. Some days, he wished she was a teacher or something, not a doctor. Those days were usually the days that she made him stay home. Opening his eyes for a brief moment, he saw that there was now juice next to his water and a bottle of ibuprofen with a sticky note saying_ take 2_. Lifting his head up to take two of the pills, he quickly fell back asleep. Though he wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, he woke back up when he felt someone climbing on him.

"Lucy," Steve mumbled, his eyes still closed. He knew it was her since Julia would be in school today, his youngest daughter home with Alexia on her day off. "What are you doing sweetheart?"

"Mommy says to check your temperature," Lucy answered, sitting on him still. He opened his eyes a little to look at her.

"Yeah?" Steve asked curiously.

"Yep," Lucy nodded, holding the thermometer out. Steve opened his mouth and took the thermometer. "Did I get you sick?" Not able to talk, Steve shook his head so she wouldn't feel bad. "Mommy said to ask if you wanted soup." Steve nodded. "Mommy said I can be a doctor today too." The thermometer beeped, letting them know it was done and Lucy took it from her dad.

"What's it say doc?" Steve asked as Lucy observed it.

"Is that a big number?" the four year old asked, showing her dad the thermometer. 101.2.

"Yep," Steve nodded sadly. Lucy climbed off the bed and went hurrying out.

"Mommy!" Lucy shouted. It made Steve wince a little, his head hurting. "It's a big number!" Steve heard her shuffling back into the room. "Sorry daddy, I'll get your soup. What kind?"

"You pick," Steve told her and she went back out.

Steve didn't want her to have to keep running in and out of the room to take care of him, no matter how much Lucy seemed to be enjoying it. Throwing the blankets off and getting out of bed, Steve immediately shivered. Keeping his sweatpants, he also went over to grab a sweatshirt to wear over his muscle shirt. Too bad it was seventy eight degrees outside, but he felt like he was freezing. As she was coloring a card on the coffee table, Lucy gasped when she saw Steve coming down the stairs.

"Mommy!" Lucy shouted, taking off towards the kitchen where her mom was heating up chicken soup. "Daddy's out of bed!"

"You've got my daughter ratting me out?" Steve asked, walking through the kitchen.

"I have eyes every where," Alexia joked, stirring Steve's soup. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I'm not that sick Lex," Steve continued to argue with her.

"101.2?" Alexia asked with raised eye brows. She glanced at the clock, making sure enough time had passed. "Go up and take two more of the ibuprofen. I'll be up soon with your soup."

"But-"

"Bed Steven," Alexia told him. He was pretty sure she had never called him Steven in the entire time they had known each other. Still not believing he was that sick, Steve went back upstairs and climbed back into bed.

Laying in a sweatshirt, pants, and the blankets wrapped around him, he still felt cold. No matter how many times he blew his nose, he was still stuffy. All of his muscles hurt, it ached to move. His head was pounding and, despite the fact that he felt like he was freezing, his skin actually felt hot. While he had been sleeping all day, he felt like he could barely keep his eyes open. Eyes closed, he heard Alexia tip toeing in to set his soup on the night stand next to his water and the tissues.

"How are you feeling?" Alexia asked, sitting on the edge of the bed next to him.

"Lex." As he was talking, he kept his eyes closed still, to tired to open them.

"Hm?"

"I think I might be sick," Steve confessed, his voice stuffy with congestion.

"Mmmm," Alexia nodded. "You think so?" She kissed the side of his head, running a hand over his hair. "Want your soup?"

"A few minutes," Steve mumbled into the pillow. Lifting his head up and eating just seemed like too much effort at the moment.

"Ok," Alexia nodded, rubbing his back as he laid on his side. "Want me to get you anything else?"

"No, thank you," Steve said sleepily, starting to drift off again. "Lex."

"Hm?" she asked again, leaning over him now and resting her chin on his shoulder.

"You're awesome."

"I think that's your fever talking," she giggled.

"No," Steve shook his head against his pillow. "You're cool babe." She snorted. She was pretty sure no one had described her as being _cool_ since she was in college.

"Cooler than you?" Alexia teased him.

"So much cooler," Steve nodded.

"Uh huh," Alexia held back a laugh. "You need to get to sleep babe." Steve didn't answer her, he was already snoring. Kissing his head again, Alexia grabbed his soup to heat up later before going back downstairs.

* * *

By dinner, Steve was already starting to feel better. He was still aching and his head was still stuffy, but his fever was gone and he wasn't feeling as wiped out. Getting up, he went downstairs again. Alexia was making dinner, soup and sandwiches since Steve hadn't had any soup yet. The girls were both at the table, coloring like crazy.

"Hey dad!" Julia greeted him first. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Steve nodded.

"Don't look!" Lucy protested, covering up her picture. "It's not done yet!"

"Ok, ok," Steve laughed, going over to where Alexia was.

"They're making you cards," Alexia told him, turning her head away from the food to sneeze.

"Are you sick?" Steve asked skeptically.

"No, just allergies," Alexia told him, going back to cooking.

"Mhmm," Steve nodded, watching her closely.

* * *

The next morning, Steve felt as good as new. All he needed was the day to rest in bed, plenty of water, and lots of care from his favorite doctors. Glad that he was able to get back to normal and head back in to work, he turned over to wake Alexia so she could get ready. Touching her shoulder though, her skin felt just like his from the day before.

"Hm?" Alexia asked groggily, pushing his hand away. "Go away." Steve chuckled a little.

"I think you're sick babe," he told her in amusement.

"I am not," Alexia argued.

"Are we gonna do this again?" Steve asked her.

"I don't wanna do anything," she complained, crawling under the covers.

"Uh huh," Steve said, kissing her head through the blankets. "I'll get you some soup."

**thanks for reading! :) really hope you liked it, more soon! :) please review! **


	9. Happy Halloween

**thanks so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows! :) seriously you're all so sweet and amazing and i love hearing your feedback/ideas! keep them coming ;) hope you like this update :) **

**summary: Steve and Danny take the girls trick or treating while Alexia stays home with a one year old Jack. Not even Halloween can be normal for our Five-0 family though. (so i combined 2 ideas for this one. JollyJudy came up with the idea for a Halloween related case during trick or treat and AlicaQuenn came up with the girls wandering off. thank you both!)**

_Happy Halloween_

_2012_

Julia came downstairs, the nine year old ready to go trick or treating. Last year, she and Grace went as a lady bug and a bumble bee. This year, they decided to go as witches, wearing matching costumes. She had no idea what her sister was being, six year old Lucy not liking any of the costumes so she insisted that she would make her own. Jack was going through an awkward size as a one year old where none of the costumes fit him right. Alexia ended up just dressing him in cargo pants and a t-shirt and saying he was Steve.

"That's exactly how I picture you as an infant," Danny told Steve as they were watching Jack, who had just started walking a few weeks before, toddle around the living room.

"What are you wearing?" Steve asked Danny in confusion, noticing that Danny was dressed in regular clothes but was also wearing a red cape.

"Ah," Danny said, careful of how he worded it with the girls in the room. "Grace wanted me to dress up this year too. And I thought that it was a good idea."

"Uh huh," Steve nodded. He thought it was a good holiday for his kids, but Steve never really liked Halloween once he grew out of trick or treat. Dressing up wasn't his thing. That didn't mean Alexia didn't make him dress up for Halloween when they were in college.

"Where's your costume dad?" Julia asked now.

"Yeah dad," Alexia laughed as she came down the steps now, knowing how much Steve hated wearing costumes. "Where's your costume?" She nodded at Danny. "Danny's dressed up."

"I could get scrubs and go as a pain in the-" Steve started to joke about going as her.

"Steve!" Alexia laughed, stopping him; a smile spread across her face as she came up with an idea. "I have a costume for you. Just wait here," she said as she started back up the stairs. "And, button your shirt up."

"You're bossy," Steve told her as he started buttoning up his shirt. "And you're not dressed up either!"

"Yeah, yeah," Alexia brushed him off as she returned from their room, tossing a tie at him. "You can be Danny."

"Oh come on," Danny complained.

"No, this is great," Steve laughed, putting the tie on. "No one ever wears ties, it's the perfect costume." While they argued about Steve's last minute costume, Alexia called up the stairs for Lucy since they were leaving for trick or treat soon. Lucy came downstairs soon after, just wearing a sheet over her head, with two circles cut out for eyes.

"_That's_ your costume?" Julia asked her sister.

"At least I made mine!" Lucy said defensively. As they got older, they were arguing more and more.

"Ok, ok," Alexia stopped them. "You both look great, just go have fun trick or treating."

"Ok."

"Ok."

"And don't give your dad any trouble!" Alexia called after them as the dads took the three little girls down the front walk, the street already full of trick or treaters.

* * *

Julia and Grace were at an age now where they didn't want to hang out with Lucy, they thought they were too old for that. They kept running ahead to go to houses and Lucy struggled to keep up, the dads walking behind and watching. Lucy's costume was just a bit too long for her and she kept stepping on it. Eventually, she fell over and scraped her knee and started crying.

"DADDY!" Lucy sobbed, sitting on the sidewalk.

"What happened?" Steve asked, kneeling down to her and peeling the sheet off her. Her little face was tear streaked and her jean shorts showed off two scraped knees, one of which had started bleeding. "Aw, it's ok," Steve told her. While he was taking care of her, he could hear Danny in the background answering the phone, beginning an argument with Rachel in a low voice since the girls were around.

"It's not that bad," Steve told Lucy.

"Yes it IS!" Lucy protested, continuing to cry. While Steve dealt with a crying Lucy and Danny dealt with an argumentative Rachel, Julia and Grace started whispering among themselves.

"Isn't that haunted house Susie was talking about a few blocks from here?" Grace asked Julia.

"I think so," Julia nodded. There was an abandoned house in the neighborhood that all the kids talked about being haunted. A bunch of boys from their grade had dared each other to go in there a few days before but they had "chickened out."

"Do you wanna check it out?" Grace asked her. Looking over, Steve was still telling Lucy that she was going to be fine even though she was sure she'd never walk again and Danny was still on the phone with his back turned.

"Yeah," Julia nodded in agreement. "Should we tell our dads?"

"I bet Lucy's still crying when we get back," Grace told her as they started down the street together. "And Danno will be on the phone with mom for-ev-er."

"Gotcha," Julia nodded as they turned onto the next block. The girls were gone and it went completely unnoticed.

"No, Rachel, I'm telling you that..." Steve was trying to ignore Danny as he focused on Lucy who was still sniffling about her knee.

"All right," Steve gave up on trying to get her to move on her own. While her one knee had been bleeding, it had already stopped. "Do you want me to take you home so you can pass out candy with mommy and Jack?"

"No," Lucy pouted now, wiping at her eyes.

"Ok," Steve nodded. "Do you wanna go up and see if Kono is passing out candy with her mom?" Kono's parents lived a few blocks over from Steve and Alexia and Kono was going over there to help with candy and a Halloween party that night.

"Yes," Lucy sniffed, wiping at her nose.

"Ok," Steve said, standing up and scooping her off the ground, carrying her and the sheet as he turned to Danny who was now hanging up. "Where did the girls go?"

"I thought they were with you," Danny said, worried a bit.

"They probably already went up to the Kalakauas'," Steve reasoned, carrying Lucy up the walk. He figured they just went to the next house and since it was a party, Kono invited them inside while the dads took care of their issues.

"Hey guys!" Kono greeted them when she answered the door. "Aw, Lucy, what's wrong?"

"I fell down," Lucy told her.

"Aw," Kono said sympathetically. "Well, here, you can have an extra piece of candy." She dropped two pieces in Lucy's bucket before looking at Steve. "Want a band aid?"

"Please," Steve said as he and Danny stepped inside with Lucy. Kono went to the nearby bathroom and came back with a band aid. "Hey, could you grab Julia and Grace, so we can keep going?" Kono looked at him in confusion.

"I don't have them," Kono told him.

"I thought they came up to the house," Steve said, starting to get worried now.

"No," Kono shook her head cautiously.

"Are you serious?" Danny snapped, hurrying outside.

"Maybe they went to the next house," Steve said, following his partner.

* * *

While the dads were losing their mind in a panic, Julia and Grace were just a few blocks over. There were a few trick or treaters out, but not as many as before. They stood on the sidewalk in front of the old abandoned house. The windows were all boarded up, the stairs and the porch were all disheveled. There were cobwebs every where. Clearly, no one had been here in a really long time.

"How old do you think it is?" Grace asked.

"My dad said it was here when he was little," Julia answered, having asked her dad about it earlier. He had heard the same stuff when he was in elementary school and his friends dared him to go inside.

"Wow," Grace nodded. She turned to her friend and grinned. "Wanna go inside?"

"I don't know," Julia hesitated now. The house was scary enough to drive by during the day. She didn't even like walking around her own house in the dark.

"C'mon," Grace insisted. "I've got a flash light. It'll be fine."

"Ok," Julia agreed, taking her friend's hand and walking into the house with her.

* * *

"Mommy's gonna be maaaaaad," Lucy told Steve as they stopped for a moment and he put her down. Steve and Danny had run up and down the entire block, searching for their girls and couldn't find them. None of the neighbors or other kids had seen them.

"Mommy's not gonna find out," Steve told her. "Because we're going to find them." He shook his head. "No way they got that far."

"Unless they got picked up," Danny said and Steve pushed his arm.

"Don't say stuff like that," Steve said anxiously. No. There was no way someone took the girls. They had to be some where in the neighborhood, they had to. How had they not been paying attention? How did two nine year olds just disappear?

"Should we call the cops?" Danny asked.

"We _are_ the cops," Steve told him as he started pacing, trying to think of a plan.

"I meant for extra help," Danny said like it was obvious. "Cover more of the neighborhood, see if anyone saw them."

"No, they gotta be in this neighborhood some where," Steve shook his head. "They..." He trailed off as he remembered something, something Julia had asked him earlier about an old house in the neighborhood. "I know where they are," he said, picking Lucy up and turning down the block.

"Care to share with the rest of us?" Danny asked as he quickly followed him.

"When I was little, there was the old abandoned house a few blocks from here," Steve explained. "Kids are always daring each other to go in there on Halloween."

"You think that's where they went?"

"Julia was asking me about it earlier."

* * *

Julia and Grace crept around the first floor of the old house slowly. While no one had lived there for awhile, it didn't mean people didn't go in from time to time. There was spray paint from teenagers on all the walls. The furniture was all moved around and everything had dust on it.

"This place is really creepy," Grace told Julia, the girls having their arms linked tight as they walked around with the flashlight pointed ahead.

"This was your idea," Julia complained. The stairs were all busted, so they decided to stick to the first floor.

"You don't think this place is really haunted do you?" Grace asked Julia.

"No way," Julia said, though she wasn't sure who she was trying to convince. As they rounded the corner into the next room, they knocked something over. The sudden noise made them both scream and turn to run out of the house. Steve and Danny were just walking up with Lucy when the girls came out screaming their heads off.

"Hey, hey, whoa," Danny stopped them.

"Slow down," Steve added as they knelt down to the frantic nine year olds. He was just happy they found them, as was Danny. "Are you all right?"

"What happened in there?" Danny asked.

"It's haunted Danno!" Grace told him.

"It was a ghost!" Julia said.

"Ghosts aren't real," Steve promised her. "It's an old house..."

"It probably just made a weird noise," Danny added, looking Grace over. "Like Grandma's house, remember?" Grace and Julia both nodded. "Now," Danny said seriously. "What were you two doing?"

"Do you know how worried we were about you?" Steve asked, his tone angry but relieved.

"We're sorry," Julia and Grace both said, shifting uncomfortably and looking at their feet. Danny and Steve both sighed.

"Don't do it again," Steve told them.

"You can't just wander off like that," Danny agreed.

"A zombie could have got you," Lucy added.

"I'm sorry dad," Julia said again.

"We won't do it again," Grace promised.

* * *

After finding the girls, Danny and Steve decided to call it a night for trick or treating. Danny took Grace home and Steve took Lucy and Julia back to the house. The candy was all gone and Alexia was just sitting on the couch with Jack who was sleeping on her. Hearing the door open, Alexia looked over and smiled as her husband and daughters returned home.

"Hey," she smiled as they came in. "How was trick or treat?"

"Not good," Lucy told her, hopping up on the couch next to her and pointing at her knee. "I fell down."

"Oh no," Alexia said sadly as she adjusted Jack. "Are you ok?" Lucy nodded.

"Then, Julesy ran away," Lucy added.

"What?" Alexia asked in confusion.

"I did not!" Julia protested; Steve held up a hand to stop the arguing.

"Julia and Grace went to check out that old house on Palm," Steve explained. "They went alone-"

"Julia," Alexia scolded her. "You know you're not supposed to go off by yourself."

"I know," Julia said sadly. "I'm sorry mom."

"I'm just glad you're home ok," Alexia told her, getting up so she could put Jack to bed, stopping to talk to Steve. "Was everything else ok?" He nodded.

"Just a scraped knee and a heart attack," he told her.

"Ah, so just another day with the McGarretts," she laughed a little, taking Jack upstairs.

**thanks for reading! :) hope you liked it. i'm thinking of making the next update a part 2 to the chapter i wrote about steve getting the papers...any more ideas please let me know. thanks! :)**


	10. Nothing to Fix, Part 2

**thanks so much for the reviews, favorites, and follow! :) and thanks to those who followed/favorited me! really glad everyone liked the halloween story. just to answer some questions i've gotten about "where we end up," first, i am SO sorry, i know it's been forever. i'm just so stuck! :/ but i'm working on it and trying to update asap, thanks so much for being patient!**

**summary: Steve's had his heart ripped out as Alexia sent him the papers for the second time. With her not speaking to him, he needs to turn to someone he know will listen. (idea for a second part of him getting the papers from from Illeanna, thanks!)**

_Nothing To Fix, Part 2_

_Christmas 2009_

Steve didn't know what to do, what to think. He had just been hung up on by his wife, the woman he had been in love with since he was sixteen years old. Now she was demanding that he signed divorce papers, that they end what mattered most to him. There was no talking with her about it, no trying to reason. She had her mind set on getting those papers signed and he knew how she got when she had her mind set on something. That was one of the reasons he loved her.

He couldn't sit, couldn't keep this in. But who was he supposed to talk to? Alexia was the person he talked to when things went wrong. Now, their relationship was what was wrong, though he never saw it that way. Crossing the room to grab the phone he had thrown in frustration, he picked it up and dialed home to Hawaii, but to someone else.

_"Hello?"_ John answered, not sure who was calling him this late.

"Dad?" Steve said. He hadn't wanted his voice to sound so defeated, but that was how he felt.

_"Hey,"_ John said with a slight smile, settling on the couch to talk to his son. _"Merry Christmas Steve."_

"Yeah," Steve sighed, not really even responding.

_"Is...everything all right?"_ John asked curiously.

They didn't really talk much, not about stuff like this. The biggest problem Steve came to him with in the last few years was worrying about impending fatherhood when Alexia was pregnant. Before that, it was when his mom had died and they hardly talked about that. They got along and, of course, John was there for Steve; but Steve never took advantage of that.

"Do you know what Lex is doing?" Steve finally asked.

John sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead. At this point, not hearing anything from his son, he was pretty sure Steve was in denial about the papers for the past month. It took sending them a second time for things to really cement. John didn't want to see Steve and Alexia get divorced, but he certainly saw her side of things. After all, he saw her everyday when Steve didn't. It wasn't what Steve wanted to hear, but it might be what he needed to hear. Maybe coming from someone else would really let it sink in; or it would just blow up in John's face.

_"Yeah,"_ John nodded. _"I know."_ Steve waited for more, but John didn't add anything else.

"And...?" Steve said, laughing a bit cynically.

_"And what?"_ John asked, being sympathetic.

"And tell me she's crazy!" Steve snapped. "Tell me she doesn't know what she's talking about."

_"Steve-"_

"She told me there wasn't anything left to fix dad," Steve continued his rant. He could never yell at Alexia like this, he wouldn't let himself. Maybe it was what he needed though as he was pretty much shouting at his father now.

"What the hell does that even mean?" Steve demanded as he went on. "Do you even know what she's thinking?"

_"I do,"_ John admitted; Steve was a little surprised.

"You've talked about this with her?" Steve asked.

_"Steve-"_

"Before or after Thanksgiving?" Steve interrupted, needing to know. Did John know he was going to get the papers sprung on him like that? Or did she tell him after she sent them?

_"Before,"_ John answered, rubbing his forehead as he knew what was coming.

"What?" Steve started to get angrier. "You...you knew she was going to file the papers?"

_"I knew that there were problems,"_ John clarified. The strain Steve's job put on their marriage wasn't a secret. With her mom not around and her brother in California, Alexia didn't have much family to talk with about all this.

"Since when?" Steve snapped. How long were these supposed problems going on, so badly that they had to get divorced? Things were hard, but they were never that bad.

_"When was Julia born?"_ John asked Steve, who was taken aback as he was confused.

"She's been thinking of this since-"

_"No, no,"_ John shook his head quickly. _"I just want you to tell me when she was born."_ Steve still didn't understand.

"What does that have to do with-"

_"Just answer the question,"_ John said and Steve shook his head, not seeing the point.

"January 11th," Steve said. "I know my daughter's birthday. And, Lucy is March 4th before you ask." Alexia was October 2nd, Steve thought to himself. Their anniversary was December 29th, he knew all those important dates.

_"What time?"_ John asked with raised eye brows. Steve opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. Shit.

"I don't know," Steve admitted. "But how is that-"

_"She was born at 4:15 in the afternoon,"_ John told him._ "Lucy was born at 9:32 at night."_

"How..."

_"I was there,"_ John stopped him. _"So Lex didn't have to go through labor alone."_

"Don't," Steve argued. Alexia would do this all the time. "She knows I would have been there if I could have."

_"Did you know that Julia had stitches three months ago?"_ John asked.

"What?" Steve asked angrily. How could Alexia not even tell him about that?

_"Yep,"_ John nodded. _"Took her to the emergency room after she fell roller skating, had to wait three hours to see someone."_ John shook his head at the memory. _"Which is ridiculous, because her mother's a doctor there, but-"_

"How did I not know about this?" Steve demanded.

_"You were away from base for three weeks,"_ John told him._ "There was no contact from you. By the time you got back, she'd had her stitches out for a week and it didn't seem important."_

"Didn't seem..." Steve started to echo but trailed off and shook his head. "Why are you telling me this stuff? I'm not a bad father."

_"I know,"_ John assured him; he paused. _"When you're here."_

"What's that mean?" Steve asked. Before, he was just mad at Alexia but now he felt like his dad was taking her side. How could he do that? He thought at least his dad would understand, having arguments with Doris while he was a cop. Steve thought that, sometimes, your job could just take a toll, but everything would be fine. Now he was seeing how wrong that was.

_"It means that those little girls adore you,"_ John promised him. _"They think that you're the greatest."_ Steve waited as his dad paused for a moment. _"And, then you leave. And, every day, it's the same question-"_

"When's dad coming back," Steve cut him off, his tone annoyed. "Yeah, I know _Lex_. They ask me too."

_"There's other questions,"_ John told him, feeling a bit defensive for his daughter in law and granddaughters. Steve had no idea what it was like for them when he wasn't around and now it was time he did._ "Do you know what Julia asked me, back when school started?"_

"Dad-"

_"Why does my mom keep crying every night?"_ John informed him.

"I'm not a bad father," Steve repeated, his voice softer than before. "I'm not a bad husband."

_"You're not,"_ John agreed. _"When you're here." _He sighed._ "And, don't get me wrong, your wife is proud of you. Your girls are proud of you. But, a SEAL isn't what they need right now. They need someone that's here with them. That's what your wife wants, that's why she's doing this."_

"This is what I do," Steve said back. "I can't just change that."

_"And I understand that,"_ John promised him. That was the benefit of talking to John, he knew what it was like to serve and he also got caught up on cases as a cop. _"I know what it's like when you get hooked on a case."_ He sighed. "Sometimes it doesn't get to this, but she's making you choose." Steve nodded.

"Well, it's her and the girls. No question," Steve told his dad.

_"I know,"_ John nodded. _"Because you're a good father and a good husband."_

"I just need to be there," Steve echoed what he father kept trying to tell him before.

_"Just finish what you're working on and get home,"_ John told him. _"And don't you dare sign."_ Steve laughed a little.

"I won't," Steve agreed. "Thanks dad."

_"Of course son,"_ John promised them. Neither of them knew how long it would take for Steve to finish his case and get home. They also didn't know that this was the last time they'd get to talk on the phone.

**thanks for reading! really hope you liked it, more soon! since i made this update about the papers, the next one i'm using is an idea i got about their reconciliation. let me know any other ideas! :)**


	11. Do You Remember?

**thanks so much for the reviews, follows, and favorite! really glad you all liked it, hope you like this update :) **

**summary: Steve and Alexia leave the girls with Malia and Chin while they move the rest of their things into the McGarrett house. (idea by jean25 for a reconciliation chapter, thank you!)**

_Do You Remember?_

_2010_

"Hey Steve!" Alexia called from the kitchen.

They were busy moving boxes from the old house they used to share with the girls into their new home, the one John left to Steve. It seemed fitting, moving into a new place for their new start. After they decided which furniture to keep and which to get rid of, since they had two of each, they were moving all the boxes left into the house. The house was a mess and Alexia was standing among a pile of boxes in her cut off shorts and button down shirt, her hair in a messy bun as she tried to get the kitchen in order. Right now though, she struggled on finding the last box of silverware and other utensils.

"Do you have the other-" she started to ask as she turned around, but was cut off by him kissing her.

"Here," he grinned at her, handing her the right box.

"Thanks," she laughed, setting the box on the counter. She started opening the appropriate drawers to put things away, when she noticed him looking at her. "Yes?" she laughed, stopping what she was doing.

"Nothing," Steve shook his head, still smiling. "I'm just happy you're home." She smiled back at him.

"Me too," she told him, kissing him once. She went back to doing what she was doing, but he just kept looking at her, the same smile on his face. "What do you keep looking at me like that for?" Alexia laughed; Steve laughed a little now.

"You remember when we met?" Steve asked her and she laughed, biting her lip.

"How could I forget," Alexia said, going to put the last of the silverware away, turning her back to him as she did so. "You scared the hell out of me by my locker, then asked me out the day before the dance." She turned around, jumping when she saw Steve right behind her and he boxed her in at the counter with a hand on either side of her waist.

"You make it sound so bad," Steve fake accused her, still grinning.

"Well, what if I wasn't planning on going at all?" Alexia teased him. "Then I wouldn't have had a dress."

"You could have been the prettiest girl there in jeans," Steve told her.

"Oh my God," Alexia laughed, her head falling back. "You're such a kiss up!"

"Yeah?" Steve laughed, picking her up and setting her on the counter, making her giggle as he kissed her again.

"Mmm," Alexia laughed, resting her hands on his shoulders. "You remember the first time I stayed over here?"

"Mhmm," Steve nodded.

It was at the beginning of their senior year, after they had been dating for a year. Things had been quiet for awhile, but Alexia had a pretty explosive fight with her mother that night and didn't want to stay at home. Eventually, she would spend many nights at the McGarrett house, especially after Doris had passed away. She needed his family and his family needed her. That was the first night she stayed there, but it was the first night for some other things too.

"Your dad knew you were staying in the guest room with me that whole time," Alexia laughed and Steve looked at her in confusion.

"No, he didn't," Steve shook his head.

"Please," Alexia teased him. "He never said anything, not until after we got married."

"Oh my God, my dad knew?" Steve complained. "And, here I was, thinking I got away with something."

"Sadly no," Alexia laughed and Steve looked her over once.

"Seth didn't know, did he?" Steve asked and she rolled her eyes.

"No, he didn't," she told him. "And, I thought we were past being afraid of my big brother?" She laughed. "You could totally kick his ass."

"Yeah, now," Steve informed her. "When we were seventeen though, I wouldn't have stood a chance." Alexia snorted a laugh. "God, do you remember when you took us dress shopping?"

"Oh yeah," Alexia smiled, remembering how Steve and Seth went with her when she needed to get a prom dress since her mom wouldn't take her and all her girlfriends were going with their moms. "That was fun."

"That was painful, truthfully," Steve told her and she smacked his shoulder. "I'm sorry!" he laughed. "But you spent two hours trying on a hundred dresses."

"I did not try on one hundred," she protested with a laugh.

"Fine, ninety eight," Steve teased her.

"Well, get ready," Alexia warned him. "Because one day, you're going to have to go for Julia and Lucy."

"That practically screams mommy territory," Steve told her and she smiled sweetly at him.

"Fine," she shrugged. "Just know I'm probably more lenient on how much skin they're allowed to show."

"I'm going," Steve told her, making her laugh; she kissed him again. "And they can't have dates."

"Oh, of course not," Alexia fake agreed, shaking her head at him. "We should probably just send them off to the convent now."

"You don't think they're too young for that?" Steve asked.

"Steve!" Alexia laughed.

"They're not allowed to date, ever," Steve told her.

"Never ever," she rolled her eyes at him. "You might like them."

"Would your dad have liked me?" Steve asked her and she thought about it.

"He would now," Alexia told him. "But, ah, probably not at seventeen."

"Because dads just don't like the boyfriends," Steve explained to her and she shook her head.

"You'll just have to have a careful screening process," Alexia told him.

"Done," Steve said back. "I can pick out a low life a mile away." He nodded at her. "Like that guy that was trying to date you sophomore year."

"Oh my God," Alexia complained, her head falling back against the cabinet as she was sitting on the counter still, covering her face with her hands. Steve was referring to a well known incident in their second year of college while they were both living in Maryland. "I thought we were done talking about this!" They hadn't spoken of the incident in years.

"Oh he's just my lab partner Steve," Steve said, mimicking her. "Oh he just wants to help me study chemistry. What chemistry was that Lex?"

"Shut up!" she laughed at him, pushing him away but he came right back.

"Then he makes a move on you, I have to come up and kick his ass," Steve listed off. "It was exhausting."

"You enjoyed it," Alexia accused him.

"I absolutely did," Steve laughed; Alexia laughed as well.

"God, college," she said as she recalled it. "You remember having roommates?"

"How could I forget," he said back; he smiled at her. "Now we just have two smaller roommates."

"They're much cuter than our old roommates," Alexia laughed, kissing him again.

"Absolutely," Steve agreed. He smiled at her again. "I'm glad we're roommates again."

"Me too," she agreed. "Now I have someone to kill the spiders."

"And, I have someone that can make more than three things for dinner," Steve said back.

"Teamwork," Alexia high fived him and he laughed at her, pulling her in for another kiss, this one was much deeper. When they pulled apart, he rested his forehead against hers.

"I'm glad you're back," Steve told her.

"Me too," Alexia said softly. Everything was just like it should be.

**thanks for reading! :) really hope you liked it, please let me know what you thought! :) i have a couple ideas floating around, not sure what i'm going to make the next update just yet (i'm thinking of writing about how danny and lex actually met?) any ideas, just let me know ;) **


	12. An Understanding

**thanks so much for the reviews, follows, and favorite! :) glad you liked it so much! so, i've actually had 2 different requests centering around Christmas ideas...i LOVE both ideas, i just want to let you know i was saving both for closer to the holidays ;) hope you like this update! :)**

**summary: Going through a divorce is hard. Sometimes, what you need, is someone else that understands to talk to.**

_An Understanding_

_2010_

Danny hated this island, hated everything about it. What he hated the most right now was that, after living here for a month, he still had no idea where he was going. He had picked Grace up from school and was supposed to take her to dance class right after. Naturally, he got lost along the way and Grace was now fifteen minutes late. Rachel would hear about it and he would get an earful about being irresponsible, or whatever word she was using to describe him that week.

"All right," Danny said, walking Grace up to the studio and stopping on the sidewalk, kneeling down to her. "Sorry you're late monkey."

"It's ok Danno," Grace told him, hugging him once. "Love you."

"Love you too," Danny said, watching her go inside.

Walking back through the lot to his car, he stopped when he heard some serious language coming from the car parked next to him. He turned to see a brunette arguing on her cell phone. He had seen her before, dropping her own daughters off at the class. He never knew such angry words could come from someone so tiny though; he wondered if she knew that her windows were down.

"No Steve," Alexia argued with him. "I'm not just going to go in there and-" She stopped as he said something. "You don't get to talk to them just when it's convenient for you!" Steve continued to argue with her, wanting to talk to the girls but Alexia had just dropped them off for their class.

"Well, I'll just tell you what I tell them when they want to talk to you. THEY'RE TOO BUSY!" Alexia raised her voice at him; Steve started arguing with her more about it, how it wasn't his fault it was his job, the usual for them as of late since she sent the papers.

"No, no, I'm not having this damn conversation again!" Alexia kept arguing with him; Steve was getting interrupted now, needing to go. "No, don't you even-"

_"I gotta go Lex,"_ Steve said in exasperation.

"Steve, I swear, I-" She stopped as the other end of the line clicked. "UGH!" She said, throwing her phone onto the dashboard. "Son of a bitch," she muttered, running a hand through her hair. She suddenly became aware that her windows were down, seeing the guy on her driver's side door raising his eye brows at her.

"Hi," she told him, feeling a little embarrassed; she had seen him before but didn't know him. "Grace's dad."

"Danny," he introduced himself. "Julia and Lucy's mom."

"Lex," she said back. He nodded at her phone that was laying on her dashboard, close to the windshield.

"Everything all right?" Danny asked.

"Why are ex husbands such a pain in the ass?" she asked him.

"Ah, well I should give you my ex-wife's number for that talk," Danny told her.

"Oooo," Alexia said, biting her lip. "Sorry."

"Eh," Danny shrugged. "But, hey, if you really wanna ruin this guy's life you should get remarried." Alexia snorted a laugh. "I'm serious, it's pretty effective."

"Noted," Alexia nodded.

"He's not bothering you though," Danny asked now, seriously. "Is he?" Alexia looked at him curiously. "I'm a cop, at HPD."

"Oh!" Alexia shook her head quickly, getting it. "No, no...he's never done anything like that."

"You sure?" Danny said lightly now. "Because, I could arrest him."

"You'd have to figure out where he is first," Alexia rolled her eyes and Danny looked at her curiously. "He's in the SEALs. I'm, um, never really sure where he is exactly."

"Must be tough," Danny said, then nodded at where her phone was laying. "Hence the..."

"Cursing and phone throwing," Alexia finished for him. "Yeah." They both laughed.

"Well, hey," Danny offered. "It gets easier."

"You're lying," Alexia accused.

"I am," Danny agreed. "But, it mostly has to do with the remarriage thing I was talking about."

"Hey," Alexia stopped him from getting into his own car. "I've seen the step dad picking Grace up before." Alexia shook her head. "She's never as excited as she is when it's you."

"Thanks," Danny told her appreciatively. "And, listen." Alexia looked back to him after starting her car. "I've been the guy accused of being_ too busy_," he quoted her from before; he shrugged a little. "Just know it sucks for him too."

"I'll remember that," Alexia told him, backing out of her parking spot. "See ya later."

"See ya," Danny waved, having what he considered to be his first friend on the island.

**thanks for reading! :) i know it was super short, i just wanted to do a brief meeting thing...hope you liked it! :) next chapter i thought of basing the next chapter around the most recent episode with the baby ;) lol let me know your thoughts, thanks again! :)**


	13. Another Baby

**thanks for the reviews, favorite, and follow! :) glad you all liked the last update. hope you like this! :) **

**summary: Things are chaotic enough around the McGarrett house, and it gets even crazier when Aunt Mary shows up.  
(based around the episode from last week as well as an idea by Rebecca for a crazy babysitting scenario. thanks Rebecca!)**

_Another Baby_

_2015_

"MOMMY DON'T LEAVE!" three year old Jack was sobbing, hanging off of her leg. Alexia was leaving for California for a few days, going to see her brother who was in the hospital, leaving Steve to take care of their kids.

"Hey," Alexia said, picking Jack up off the floor. The girls had already told her goodbye, playing upstairs now. Steve was trying to help her with Jack who was having separation anxiety. "C'mon buddy, it's ok." She kissed his cheek. "You're going to have so much fun with daddy." She smirked at Steve. "I even hear you get ice cream for breakfast when mommy goes away."

"You know about that?" Steve asked, someone knocking at the door now as he took Jack from her.

"I'm mommy, I know everything," she told him, the knocking continuing. "We're coming!" They went to open the door and saw a baby sitting in a baby carrier, holding a pink sign that said it's a girl.

"Who's baby is that?" Steve asked, looking at Alexia.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Alexia asked him back.

"I'm not looking at you like anything," Steve answered.

"Because, clearly, I secretly gave birth and then left the baby on our porch," Alexia told him.

"Why did you have to go there?" Steve asked.

"Surprise!" Mary popped out now.

"Hi Aunt Mary!" Jack waved at her.

"Hey Jack!" she grinned picking up the baby. "You wanna meet your cousin Joan?"

"Cousin?" Steve and Alexia commented at the same time.

"She's yours?" Alexia asked now.

"Yep!" Mary beamed. "I adopted her."

"Lex, can I talk to you?" Steve said to her, setting Jack down and telling him to go find his sisters.

"I'm gonna miss my flight," Alexia protested.

"Please?" Steve asked.

"Fine," Alexia rolled her eyes, letting Mary in with Joan before following him to the kitchen. "What?"

"_What_?" Steve asked like it was obvious, motioning to the next room. "Did you miss that?"

"They wouldn't have let her adopt a baby if she wasn't capable," Alexia reasoned.

"Capable?" Steve repeated. "Mary can hardly take care of herself." He shook his head. "Remember, when I was living in DC and had to go get Molly from her?"

"Ok, Steve," Alexia said with sarcastic gentleness. "Mary was twenty. And Molly was a golden retriever!"

"Yeah, puppies are easier than babies," Steve pointed out.

"I'm lost," Alexia told him now. "Why are you snapping?"

"Because we take care of everything Mary can't," Steve reminded her. "Molly-"

"Dog," Alexia repeated.

"Shelly," Steve went on.

"Turtle," Alexia cut him off.

"That stupid egg she had to bring home junior year," Steve recalled.

"Yeah, and _you_ hard boiled it," Alexia reminded him and he shook his head. "I really don't think Mary is going to pass Joan off onto us." As they had been talking, a fight had started upstairs between their three kids. There was shouting and, eventually, wrestling.

"That," Steve pointed up at the ceiling. "You want more of that?"

"No," Alexia shook her head.

"Then, talk to Mary," Steve told her. "She listens to you better."

"I'm going to miss my flight," Alexia told him. "Besides, she can't just return a baby." She kissed him once. "You'll be fine."

* * *

It only took a few hours for things to take a turn. Things were a little crazy around the house, but that was to be expected. Mary though, started to get an awful pain in her side and Steve had to take her to the ER, four kids in tow. She ended up having to get her appendix taken out and she was going to be gone for a couple days. She told Steve to go, to take the kids since they didn't need to spend time in the hospital. On the car ride home, Steve dialed Alexia. Julia was sitting in the front seat, while Lucy sat in the back between two different car seats.

_"Hey,"_ Alexia answered. _"Sorry I didn't call when I landed, I just went straight to the hospital."_ Alexia's older brother Seth had recently suffered a minor heart attack. He was going to be fine, but she was flying to Los Angeles to spend a few days with him and his wife Karen.

"Come home," Steve said quietly.

_"Huh?"_ Alexia said in confusion. _"Is everything all right?"_

"My sister had to get her appendix out," Steve told her.

_"Ah, well my brother had a heart attack,"_ Alexia said lightly, though the situation had grayed her hair._ "I win."_

"I'm serious Lex," Steve told her; she rolled her eyes.

_"You're going to be fine,"_ Alexia told him, though part of her felt a little bad. Steve was alone with a new born, a three year old, an eight year old, and an eleven year old. She rounded the corner now, seeing her sister in law in the waiting room_. "I gotta go, all right babe? I'll call you later."_

"All right," Steve nodded, really knowing that she needed to be with her brother.

_"I'll be back in two days,"_ she assured him._ "Love you."_

"Love you too," Steve said, hanging up now. Not long after he hung up the phone, it started ringing again with a call from Danny. "Hey Danno, I'm glad you called." Steve normally felt a bit overwhelmed when he was left with his own three kids while his wife was away, being out numbered. Throwing a new baby into the mix didn't help.

"What?" Steve said when Danny told him what happened. "Oh...no." Steve was going to have to go into work, and all four pairs of innocent eyes were pinned on him right now.

* * *

Danny and Chin were at HQ, waiting for Steve to get there. The first ones through the doors though were Lucy and Julia, who immediately started arguing about who had gotten there first. They took off not long after Steve parked the car, racing to see who could get to the office first. Sometimes, Danny was glad that he just had Grace because she didn't have a sister to fight with.

"All right, all right," Danny interrupted them. "It was a tie. Right Uncle Chin?"

"Looked really close to me," Chin agreed as Steve came in now, baby in one arm, holding Jack's hand as he walked beside him. "Uh, I know I have a hard time keeping track of your kids," Chin joked. "But, aren't there only three?"

"Yeah," Danny said in fake offense. "I'd like to know if you were expecting, gives me time to start the boy-or-girl bet."

"This is my niece, Joan," Steve informed them, not amused by this.

"Ah," Chin nodded.

"Mary had a baby?" Danny asked.

"Joan's adopted," Julia answered for her dad.

"And named after grandpa," Lucy added. "Like Jack, but a girl."

"Oh," Danny nodded, looking at Steve now. "And, um, work seemed the best place to bring them during a, ah..." He lowered his voice. "A homicide investigation?"

"What's a homicide?" Lucy asked and Steve gave Danny a look.

"A really bad thing," Steve told her, letting Jack's hand go. "Why don't you guys go hang out in my office for a little bit, all right?" He was still holding Joan as the girls took their brother into the other room.

"Man," Danny laughed now.

"I know," Steve agreed, though he wasn't laughing. "But, Lex went to LA, Mary is in the hospital. And the hospital daycare won't take them because Lex isn't working." He shrugged. "I'm seriously outnumbered out here guys."

"Well, there's three of us," Chin reasoned. "It can't be that bad."

* * *

It really was that bad though. Joan spit up on their shirts. Jack fell and hit his head, starting to cry. Any sort of fight between Julia and Lucy these days quickly escalated into a physical confrontation, the girls wrestling on the floor over the littlest things. After awhile, Steve thought that it would be better to take the kids back to the house, to give up on trying to work. It was one thing when he had to bring one of the kids along, but four of them? Things were chaotic.

The craziness went on for two days. Steve wished it was at least the school year, that way he could take the girls there. It was summer though and with that, came endless practices and camps that he was driving between, bringing the two little ones every where he went, which in turn made both Jack and Joan pretty cranky. Steve wasn't sure he had ever missed Alexia so much.

Finally, after two days, Alexia finally flew home. It felt like time flew to her, worrying about her brother but was happy to help him and Karen when he was discharged from the hospital. She was happy to be home though, wondering how Steve was doing with the kids. Mary was still going to be in the hospital for another day after her surgery, leaving Steve with the four kids still. The few times she got to call him, he said he would call back since things were so crazy. She wondered what really happened.

Walking into the house, she saw the remnants of the chaos. The house was a mess, the kids building a fort as well as leaving their coloring supplies every where. Joan's baby bag was open and the contents were all over the place.

"Hello?" Alexia called into the house. Nothing. "I'm home," she said, walking up the stairs.

She found them all sleeping in her and Steve's room. Steve was asleep on the middle of the bed, with Joan sleeping on his chest. Jack was asleep next to him, with Julia on Jack's other side, Lucy laying on Steve's other side. They were all cuddled up together, looking so sweet. Nothing like the chaos that happened downstairs. She went over and picked up Joan first, which woke up Steve.

"Mmm, hi," Steve yawned, looking around at all the kids sleeping, not moving. "I'd kiss you, but if I move they'll wake back up."

"Was it that crazy?" Alexia whispered, Joan's head resting on her shoulder.

"Please don't leave me," Steve told her, making her giggle.

"Promise," she smiled at him.

**thanks for reading! :) really hope you liked it! not sure what the next chapter will be, i have a few ideas listed...any more are welcome as always ;) thanks again! more soon! :)**


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